wretch
Americannoun
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a deplorably unfortunate or unhappy person.
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a person of despicable or base character.
noun
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a despicable person
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a person pitied for his misfortune
Etymology
Origin of wretch
before 900; Middle English wrecche, Old English wrecca exile, adventurer; cognate with German Recke warrior, hero, Old Norse rekkr man
Explanation
A wretch is someone who is so miserable and unlucky that you almost have to feel sorry for the person. You might pity the poor wretch who was fired at work over something that wasn’t even his fault. Wretch traces back to the Old English word wrecca, meaning “banished person” — so no wonder a wretch is so unhappy! A wretch is in such a bad situation that a sense of pity typically goes along with the word, and you’ll often see the terms “poor wretch” or “unfortunate wretch.” Wretch can also be used more informally to describe someone who’s wicked or hateful, like that ungrateful wretch who complained to the boss when you brought snacks to work.
Vocabulary lists containing wretch
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Anthem
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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.
Over a gentle acoustic guitar and a shuffling drum beat, he raps about "heading to the mountains" to "realign", while Wretch 32 adds a verse about putting faith and family over money and his career.
From BBC • May 26, 2023
He shares this proclivity with one of his musical heroes, the British rapper Wretch 32, born Jermaine Sinclaire Scott.
From New York Times • Nov. 29, 2022
Radio 1Xtra presents a grime symphony with artists including Wretch 32 and Krept & Konan.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2015
The grating rave synths, the Auto-Tuned vocals, the commercial gloss, let alone the merciless jittery rhythm - this isn't music for Womad veterans; rather, it's for "kids" into Chipmunk, Wretch 32 and Tinie Tempah.
From The Guardian • May 22, 2013
And Aristophanes says, in his Proagon— Wretch that I am, I've eaten tripe, my son: How can I bear to see a roasted snout?
From The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athen?us by Athen?us
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.
