1
: deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind
2
: extremely or deplorably bad or distressing
was in wretched health
a wretched accident
3
a
: being or appearing mean, miserable, or contemptible
dressed in wretched old clothes
b
: very poor in quality or ability : inferior
wretched workmanship
wretchedly
adverb
wretchedness
noun
Examples of wretched in a Sentence
The slums were filled with poor, wretched children.
I don't know what's wrong with her, but she looks wretched.
families living in wretched poverty
the wretched conditions of the refugee camp
How did we get into this wretched state of affairs?
What a wretched performance that was.
That movie was positively wretched.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ones who weren’t downright frauds were only cracked and wretched old women with delusions.
—
Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
In a year when the Amy Winehouse movie Back to Black showed just how wretched musical biopics can sometimes be, most critics and ticket-buyers seem pleased with James Mangold’s look at Bob Dylan’s early years in A Complete Unknown.
—Jordan Hoffman, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Dec. 2024
The latter culminated in an unceremonious exit with Denise bailing amid rumors of an affair with Brandi Glanville and some admittedly wretched mean-girl behavior from castmates Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards (no relation).
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
No decent person, let alone a political movement downstream of the biblical, Judeo-Christian tradition, as American conservatism necessarily is, should lift a finger to welcome such a wretched reprobate to our shores or shield him from justice.
—Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
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Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
In a year when the Amy Winehouse movie Back to Black showed just how wretched musical biopics can sometimes be, most critics and ticket-buyers seem pleased with James Mangold’s look at Bob Dylan’s early years in A Complete Unknown.
—Jordan Hoffman, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Dec. 2024
The latter culminated in an unceremonious exit with Denise bailing amid rumors of an affair with Brandi Glanville and some admittedly wretched mean-girl behavior from castmates Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards (no relation).
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
No decent person, let alone a political movement downstream of the biblical, Judeo-Christian tradition, as American conservatism necessarily is, should lift a finger to welcome such a wretched reprobate to our shores or shield him from justice.
—Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wretched. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wretched
adjective
wretch·ed
ˈrech-əd 
1
: very miserable or unhappy
2
: causing misery or distress
that wretched accident
3
: deserving of hatred or disgust
a wretched trick
4
: very poor in quality or ability
wretched work
wretchedly
adverb
wretchedness
noun
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