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wretched

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 19 April 2023

Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishwrecched(“(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],[1] fromwrecche(“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”)[2] (from LateOld Englishwrecc, fromOld Englishwreċċa(“an exile, outcast”), ultimately fromProto-Indo-European*wreg-(“to follow, track; to hunt”)) +-ed(suffix formingadjectives).[3] The English word is analysable aswretch(“(obsolete) wretched”,adjective) +‎-ed(suffix forming adjectives).[4]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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wretched (comparativemorewretched,superlativemostwretched)

  1. Characterized by orfeelingdeepaffliction ordistress; verymiserable.
    Synonyms:dejected,(archaic or obsolete)wretchful;see alsoThesaurus:lamentable,Thesaurus:sad
    I feltwretched after my wife died.
  2. Of aninferior orunworthynature orsocial status;contemptible,lowly.
    The street was full ofwretched beggars dressed in rags.
  3. Of aninsignificant,mean, orpoor nature; miserable,paltry,worthless.
    Synonyms:trifling;see alsoThesaurus:insignificant
    • 1922 February,James Joyce, “[Episode 16:Eumaeus]”, inUlysses, Paris:Shakespeare and Company, […],→OCLC, part III [Nostos],page598:
      All thosewretched quarrels, in his humble opinion, stirring up bad blood – bump of combativeness or gland of some kind, erroneously supposed to be about a punctilio of honour and a flag, – were very largely a question of the money question which was at the back of everything, greed and jealousy, people never knowing when to stop.
  4. Of aperson, etc.:behaving in a mannercausingcontempt;base,despicable,wicked.
    Synonyms:seeThesaurus:despicable
  5. Ofweather:causing muchdiscomfort; veryunpleasant; miserable.
  6. (informal)Used toexpressannoyance towards ordislike of someone or something:bloody,damned.
    Synonyms:blasted,bleeding
    Will you please stop playing thatwretched trombone!

Derived terms

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Related terms

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Collocations

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with nouns
  • wretched animal
  • wretched being
  • wretched city
  • wretched condition
  • wretched creature
  • wretched excess
  • wretched health
  • wretched hive
  • wretched hole
  • wretched house
  • wretched life
  • wretched man
  • wretched person
  • wretched place
  • wretched situation
  • wretched slave
  • wretched state
  • wretched town
  • wretched village
  • wretched weather
  • wretched woman
  • wretched world

Translations

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characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable
of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status—seecontemptible,‎lowly
of an insignificant, mean, or poor nature—see alsoworthless
of a person, etc.: behaving in a manner deserving contempt
of weather: causing much discomfort; very unpleasant—see alsomiserable
used to express annoyance towards or dislike of someone or something—seebloody

References

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  1. ^“wrecched,adj.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.
  2. ^“wrecche,adj.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.
  3. ^“-ed,suf.(1)”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.
  4. ^Compare“wretched,adj.”, inOED OnlinePaid subscription required⁠, Oxford:Oxford University Press, March 2023;“wretched,adj.”, inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.

Further reading

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