Word
wretch
US/ˈɹɛtʃ/
UK/ɹˈɛtʃ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who is very unhappy or suffers a lot. It is an old-fashioned word that people rarely use today.
n. a person who is unfortunate, miserable, or suffering. Often used in literary or poetic contexts to evoke a sense of deep distress or social degradation.
Examples
“The poor wretch sat alone in the cold.”
“The old man looked at the starving wretch with a mix of pity and anger.”
“In the bleak landscape of the novel, the protagonist is portrayed as a wretch, stripped of his former status and left to wander the desolate streets.”
Examples
simple
“The poor wretch sat alone in the cold.”
contextual
“The old man looked at the starving wretch with a mix of pity and anger.”
complex
“In the bleak landscape of the novel, the protagonist is portrayed as a wretch, stripped of his former status and left to wander the desolate streets.”
Real-World Examples
“A particular delight is how he shows that many “rules” beloved of self-appointed grammar constables were simply made up quite recently by irritable ink-stained wretches.” Etymology
From Middle English wrecche, from Old English wreċċa (“exile, outcast”), from Proto-Germanic wrakjô (“exile, fugitive, warrior”), from Proto-Indo-European wreg- (“to track, follow”). Doublet of garçon.
From confusion with the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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