1
as in horrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
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2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
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5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
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6
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
his wretched treatment of women earned him a bad reputation
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7
as in terrible
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
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8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
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9
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the pampered socialite complained that the only room available was in a wretched little motel by the highway
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wretched
Following Villa’s wretched defeat at Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening, this season’s tally extended to three clean sheets in 28 Premier League fixtures — roughly one in every nine.
—
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Other players have been successful elsewhere, including Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, but both have relatively wretched records in Melbourne.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
That’s good news for drivers who use this wretched thoroughfare and worry that their tires and shocks could not withstand the ruts and ridges of constant travel on a road that looks like it was damaged by mortar fire.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
Oppression brings forth its revolutionary others; the wretched come to inherit the earth.
—Siddhartha Deb, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Other players have been successful elsewhere, including Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, but both have relatively wretched records in Melbourne.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
That’s good news for drivers who use this wretched thoroughfare and worry that their tires and shocks could not withstand the ruts and ridges of constant travel on a road that looks like it was damaged by mortar fire.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
Oppression brings forth its revolutionary others; the wretched come to inherit the earth.
—Siddhartha Deb, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
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Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
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Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The coming-of-age story finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
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Stocks had sold off sharply last Friday, amid growing uncertainty on U.S. trade policy and a bleak inflation outlook.—
Amala Balakrishner,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Sharon is the first member of the coven to die after the first of the five trials; meanwhile, the rest of the coven fends off further danger, faces new challenges, and even adds a new member to their ranks, replacing poor Sharon almost immediately.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Despite that success, Willard was unhappy with the program’s financial commitments.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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The extra time will presumably be used to fix whatever about the season executives are unhappy with.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Newsweek's efforts to politicize the death of these individuals, including the reporter's request to confirm names and locations of death, are vile.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The rhetoric pushed here is that someone with a high body count has less value and will either make a terrible partner or no one will want them in the first place.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The image of the 77-year-old Green screaming and shaking his cane at the president was partly disturbing but mostly pathetic.—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
8 Mar. 2025
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Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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