English Reference
Adjective

wretched

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˈɹɛtʃɪd/ UK /ɹˈɛtʃɪd/ wretch·ed

adj.feeling very unhappy, sick, or unlucky. It can also describe something of very poor quality that makes you feel annoyed.

adj.characterised by a state of extreme misery, misfortune, or poor quality. Often used to express a speaker's contempt or pity toward a subject.


SIMPLE

The poor dog looked wretched out in the rain.

CONTEXTUAL

After losing his job and his apartment in the same week, he felt truly wretched.

COMPLEX

The refugees were forced to live in wretched conditions, cramped into small metal shipping containers with no access to clean running water or electricity.

Usage

Can be used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after a linking verb like 'feel' or 'look'.

Reece James offered security after replacing Watson and Pedro Neto scored after coming on for Malo Gusto, who could barely complete a pass during a wretched first half.

The Guardian· 9 Sept 2026

Brittunculi This one’s the oldest: it was found on a tablet at the Roman fort of Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall, a Latin term showing exasperation and meaning “wretched little Brits”.

The Guardian· 23 Aug 2026

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).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *wreg-
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated