1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
the whole hockey team played wretchedly that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
we're wretchedly disappointed in you for behaving so irresponsibly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wretchedly
The Eastern Europeans—Yiddish Jews, Kimmel calls them—were poor, wretchedly so.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedly
Adverb
-
That reflects poorly on the players, but Rosenior did not provide any convincing answers.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The trial has dragged on for six years in a case that has bitterly divided the Israeli public.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The eight men at the center of this book shared the common experience of being born before the Civil War, when this country was bitterly divided over slavery.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Yes, some of it has aged badly, said Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
-
This is not the first time that badly behaved tourists have been linked to damaged to the fountain.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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If the Premier League’s bottom club hoped to draw a symbolic line under their season from hell with the confirmation of relegation from the Premier League, they were left sadly disappointed by events at Molineux in the first game since their fate was sealed.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Stage star Kelli Barrett, as Bertie, is given far less to work with, sadly.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That, along with the March trade that sent Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres, would leave them painfully thin down the middle, with little center help coming up through the system.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Vientos’ error ultimately led to just one (unearned) run, but the margins are painfully thin for a Mets team that managed only four hits against four Rockies pitchers in Game 1.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretchedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedly. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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