wretched

12 synonyms and 5 antonyms for wretched, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Extremely unhappy or in a miserable, unfortunate state.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

poor

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

miserable pathetic despicable

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

hapless deplorable execrable piteous misfortunate pitiable slimy pitiful

Antonyms

jovial comfortable happy bright prosperous

How to use wretched

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a wretched existence feel wretched wretched weather

Etymology

Comes 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, unfo...

Full origin of wretched →

Frequently asked questions

What does “wretched” mean?

The word “wretched” means extremely unhappy or in a miserable, unfortunate state. In plain terms, miserable, pitiful, or of terrible quality — also used as a mild curse when something annoys you.

How do you pronounce “wretched”?

“Wretched” is pronounced REHT-shihd (/ˈɹɛt͡ʃəd/ in IPA).

How do you use “wretched” in a sentence?

Here is “wretched” used in a sentence: “He felt wretched after losing his job and his home in the same month.”

What part of speech is “wretched”?

“Wretched” is an adjective.

Is “wretched” a common word?

“Wretched” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “wretched” have?

“Wretched” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely unhappy or in a miserable, unfortunate state.

Related words

ratchet wretch wretchful wretchless wretchlessly wretchlessness wretchock

People also searched

happy poor comfortable bright miserable pathetic prosperous despicable pitiful piteous slimy deplorable

Nearby words

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