wretchedness

noun

Definition of wretchednessnext
1
as in misery

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2
as in baseness

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wretchedness As our cantankerous lead, Molina harumphs lovably from scene to scene, conveying both his character’s indomitable will and the wretchedness of his grief. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026 Director Penny Lane interviews jazz critics who howl at his wretchedness, then balances it with fans who simply don’t care. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedness
  1. misery
  2. baseness
  3. destitution
  4. meanness
  5. poverty
  6. miserableness
  7. woe
  8. criminality
Noun
  • Little overnight relief Exacerbating the misery will be the lack of cooling temperatures overnight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Smith Galer has much to say against the case for putting languages out of their misery, but her focus is on a point with which even the most unsentimental can surely sympathize.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of baseness
Noun
  • In the trailer, the young women are in despair over their sudden destitution.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • While the affluent are living longer, healthier lives, and retiring with a nest egg and their dignity, low-income workers are facing destitution.
    — Ann Larson, Time, 11 June 2026
Definition of destitution
Noun
  • Sometimes the irony turns bitter and, with a typically Eastern European sensibility, highlights the paradoxes of institutions, as well as the madness and meanness born from the pursuit and preservation of power.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 June 2026
  • After 1965, when African Americans’ right to vote was constitutionally recognized, the meanness continued.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Definition of meanness
Noun
  • Now, the conflict in the Middle East has worsened food security for millions of people living in poverty, especially children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Identify and help single mothers through at-home interventions that increase the probability that a child will develop his or her potential and will have a chance to escape the cycles of poverty.
    — Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of poverty
Noun
  • Luke and Kristen squabble for the entirety of the trip, which only adds to its miserableness.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of miserableness
Noun
  • While not officially ruled out, the organization appears to be prioritizing their long-term health, potentially looking beyond this season, as the Braves' injury woes mount and their division lead shrinks.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • For this is not a tale of something gone wrong, such as rising rents, redevelopment woes, etc.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of woe
Noun
  • These programs are laudable, certainly beneficial for some people, but overall are of limited effect even in reducing recidivism, let alone dealing with the conditions that generate criminality in the first place.
    — Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • The administration says the best way to stop such abuses and criminality is to disincentivize immigrant children from coming in the first place.
    — Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 6 July 2026
Definition of criminality

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wretchedly
wretchedness
wretches
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Cite this Entry

“Wretchedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedness. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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