wretch
[ rech ]
/ rɛtʃ /
noun
a deplorably unfortunate or unhappy person.
a person of despicable or base character.
Nearby words
Origin of wretch
before 900; Middle English wrecche, Old English wrecca exile, adventurer; cognate with German Recke warrior, hero, Old Norse rekkr man
Can be confusedretch wretch
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wretch
British Dictionary definitions for wretch
wretch
/ (rɛtʃ) /
noun
a despicable person
a person pitied for his misfortune
Word Origin for wretch
Old English wrecca; related to Old Saxon wrekkeo, Old High German reccheo (German Recke warrior), Old Norse rek (n) ingr
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for wretch
wretch
Old English wrecca "wretch, stranger, exile," from Proto-Germanic *wrakjan (cf. Old Saxon wrekkio, Old High German reckeo "a banished person, exile," German recke "renowned warrior, hero"), related to Old English wreccan "to drive out, punish" (see wreak). Sense of "vile, despicable person" developed in Old English, reflecting the sorry state of the outcast, as presented in much of Anglo-Saxon verse (e.g. "The Wanderer"). Cf. German Elend "misery," from Old High German elilenti "sojourn in a foreign land, exile."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper