wretched

[rech-id]

adjective

wretcheder, wretchedest 

1. very unfortunate in condition or circumstances; miserable; pitiable.

   Synonyms: unhappy, forlorn, woebegone, woeful, distressed, dejected

2. characterized by or attended with misery and sorrow.

3. despicable, contemptible, or mean.

   a wretched miser.

   Synonyms: vile, base

4. poor, sorry, or pitiful; worthless.

   a wretched job of sewing.

wretched

/ ˈrɛtʃɪd /

adjective

1. in poor or pitiful circumstances

2. characterized by or causing misery

3. despicable; base

4. poor, inferior, or paltry

5. (prenominal) (intensifier qualifying something undesirable)

   a wretched nuisance

Other Word Forms

• wretchedly adverb
• wretchedness noun
• unwretched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wretched¹

First recorded in 1150–1200, wretched is from the Middle English word wrecchede. See wretch, -ed ³

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Because of poor luck and judgement, Cleveland have had a wretched run with quarterbacks over the past few seasons so are desperate to find a solution.

From BBC

An Eagle Rock woman wrote in The Times that the killer “has made us all wretched” with fear, and reported a conversation between a grocery store customer and a clerk:

From Los Angeles Times

He constantly saved the Lions - in 1989 they were in the doldrums after some wretched tours in the 80s and he resurrected them with a series win in Australia.

From BBC

It stretched their wretched run in the play-offs to no successes from 10 attempts and leaves them facing up to another season in the second tier.

From BBC

Spaun - behind MacIntyre on the course - was the only other player heading in the right direction after reaching the turn in a wretched 40.

From BBC

Related Words

• abject 
• deplorable 
• depressed 
• despicable 
• forlorn 
• gloomy 
• hopeless 
• miserable 
• pathetic 
• pitiful 
• tragic 
• woeful