wretched
/ˈɹɛt͡ʃəd/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
adj
Of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status; contemptible, lowly.
adj
Of a person, etc.: behaving in a manner causing contempt; base, despicable, wicked.
adj
Of weather: causing much discomfort; very unpleasant; miserable.
Example Sentences
- "I felt wretched after my wife died."
- "Oh (men forlorne) how wretched is our ſtate, / Whome heaven and earth oppreſſe with heapes of hate!"
- "[W]ho might be your mother / That you inſult, exult, and all at once / Ouer the vvretched?"
- "Sir, / vve are no Spinſters; nor, if you look upon us, / ſo vvretched as you take us."
- "Let theſe / Inſnare the vvretched in the toils of lavv, / Fomenting diſcord, and perplexing right, / An iron race!"
- "[…] Emily ſtood, ſilent and trembling, vvretched for herſelf and dreading to leave him in this ſtate of mind."
Etymology
From 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).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹɛt͡ʃəd/
- British English: /ˈɹɛt͡ʃɪd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more wretched (comparative)
most wretched (superlative)