wretched
Characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distressCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
Recorded US: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
» He lived a wretched life when young.
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6 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
Examples
23 sentencesHe lived a wretched life when young.
They live in a wretched little house.
I like to help the most wretched people.
Meaning
6 sensesCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
I felt wretched after my wife died.
miserabel, sehr schlecht, erbärmlich
жа́лкийžálkij, несча́стныйnesčástnyj
characterized by physical misery
Of an insignificant, mean, or poor nature; miserable, paltry, worthless.
I just lack the fine motor skill. Same reason I'm a grown man who doesn't know how to use a screwdriver without looking like a retard. Oh, I'm wretched.
wertlos
убогийubogij
Of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status; contemptible, lowly.
The street was full of wretched beggars dressed in rags.
More meanings 3
(informal)Used to express annoyance towards or dislike of someone or something: bloody, damned.
Will you please stop playing that wretched trombone!
Of a person, etc.: behaving in a manner causing contempt; base, despicable, wicked.
erbärmlich
Of weather: causing much discomfort; very unpleasant; miserable.
Origin
From Middle English wrecched (“(adjective) characterized by or suffering hardship or misfoFrom Middle English wrecched (“(adjective) characterized by or suffering hardship or misfortune, miserable, unfortunate, unhappy; indigent, poor; of low economic or social status, lowly; (noun) miserable person”) [and other forms], from wrecche (“characterized by or suffering hardship or misfortune, miserable, unfortunate, unhappy; indigent, poor; of low economic or social status, lowly; base, contemptible, vile; reprehensible, wicked; miserly, stingy; of little importance, paltry, worthless”) (from Late Old English wrecc, from Old English wreċċa (“an exile, outcast”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“to follow, track; to hunt”)) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as wretch (“(obsolete) wretched”, adjective) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
more wretched, most wretched| Comparative | more wretched Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most wretched Lesson |
regular
Synonyms
259 synonyms- of very poor quality or condition:deplorableexecrablemiserablewoeful
- characterized by physical misery:miserable
- very unhappy; full of misery:miserablesuffering
- morally reprehensible:despicableuglyvileslimyunworthyworthless
- deserving or inciting pity:haplessmiserablemisfortunatepatheticpiteouspitiablepitifulpoor
Word family
10 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.