wretched
Americanadjective
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very unfortunate in condition or circumstances; miserable; pitiable.
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characterized by or attended with misery and sorrow.
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despicable, contemptible, or mean.
a wretched miser.
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poor, sorry, or pitiful; worthless.
a wretched job of sewing.
adjective
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in poor or pitiful circumstances
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characterized by or causing misery
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despicable; base
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poor, inferior, or paltry
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(prenominal) (intensifier qualifying something undesirable)
a wretched nuisance
Related Words
Wretched, miserable, sorry refer to that which is unhappy, afflicted, or distressed. Wretched refers to a condition of extreme affliction or distress, especially as outwardly apparent: wretched hovels. Miserable refers more to the inward feeling of unhappiness or distress: a miserable life. Sorry applies to distressed, often poverty-stricken outward circumstances; but it has connotations of unworthiness, incongruousness, or the like, so that the beholder feels more contempt than pity: in a sorry plight.
Other Word Forms
- unwretched adjective
- wretchedly adverb
- wretchedness noun
Etymology
Origin of wretched
First recorded in 1150–1200, wretched is from the Middle English word wrecchede. See wretch, -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As wretched as smog was, Angelenos were not about to stop driving their cars, so the cars had to change.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
They must avoid setting a new record if they are going to survive, with relegation rivals West Ham's 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa the sliver of hope needed on a wretched afternoon.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Their longer-term record against England was yet more wretched – Scotland had won just three of the previous 29 meetings.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
That wretched form is unlikely to improve anytime soon with United hosting Manchester City next weekend before travelling to Premier League leaders Arsenal on January 25.
From Barron's • Jan. 11, 2026
“What a place is this that you inhabit, my son!” said he, looking mournfully at the barred windows and wretched appearance of the room.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
