1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in cheap
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wretched
As with much else in this wretched administration, the initial refusal to review Moderna’s vaccine was a transparent pretext for officials to pursue political and ideological preferences under the guise of regular government administration.
—
The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
There were still seasons, birds and bees, and days and weeks in all their wretched assuredness.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the summer, Gallup measured the party’s approval rating at 34 percent, its lowest point since Gallup began tracking partisan approval ratings, in 1992; a Wall Street Journal poll had the Democrats at 33 percent approval; a CNN poll put their approval rating at a wretched 28 percent.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
More significant, in addition to being wretched, the book is also periodically wise.
—Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
There were still seasons, birds and bees, and days and weeks in all their wretched assuredness.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the summer, Gallup measured the party’s approval rating at 34 percent, its lowest point since Gallup began tracking partisan approval ratings, in 1992; a Wall Street Journal poll had the Democrats at 33 percent approval; a CNN poll put their approval rating at a wretched 28 percent.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
More significant, in addition to being wretched, the book is also periodically wise.
—Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
-
The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At first glance, AI companions for lonely seniors can seem dystopian, looking less like innovation than a bleak sign of social failure.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Things are impossibly bleak for the Rockets, which were without Kevin Durant for the second game this series.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Cora was clearly unhappy towards the end.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There were thousands of unhappy Stagecoach festivalgoers on Saturday night, as the approximately 75,000-80,000 guests were forced to evacuate due to high winds.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There’s something vile, yet attractive about the film, an encapsulation of the fact that people and the internet are downright weird.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But by tweaking this archetype again and again, Chan transforms a cheap gimmick into a complex ecosystem of life-forms.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The cheapest available seat was listed at $237 as of Friday evening.—
Annie Costabile,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But as Notes from Underground progresses, his behavior turns from funny to pathetic to downright despicable.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
