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wretched

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
wretch·ed  (rchd)
adj. wretch·ed·er, wretch·ed·est
1. In a deplorable state of distress or misfortune; miserable: "the wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages" George Orwell.
2. Characterized by or attended with misery or woe: a wretched life.
3. Of a poor or mean character; dismal: a wretched building.
4. Contemptible; despicable: wretched treatment of the patients.
5. Of very inferior quality: wretched prose.

[Middle English wrecched, from wrecche, wretch; see wretch.]

wretched·ly adv.
wretched·ness n.

wretched [retch-id]
Adjective
1. in poor or pitiful circumstances: a vast wretched slum
2. feeling very unhappy
3. of poor quality: the wretched state of the cabbages
4. Informal undesirable or displeasing: what a wretched muddle
wretchedly adv
wretchedness n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.wretched - of very poor quality or condition; "deplorable housing conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of the accused"; "woeful errors of judgment"
inferior - of low or inferior quality
2.wretched - characterized by physical misery; "a wet miserable weekend"; "spent a wretched night on the floor"
uncomfortable - providing or experiencing physical discomfort; "an uncomfortable chair"; "an uncomfortable day in the hot sun"
3.wretched - very unhappy; full of misery; "he felt depressed and miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages"
unhappy - experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent; "unhappy over her departure"; "unhappy with her raise"; "after the argument they lapsed into an unhappy silence"; "had an unhappy time at school"; "the unhappy (or sad) news"; "he looks so sad"
4.wretchedwretched - morally reprehensible; "would do something as despicable as murder"; "ugly crimes"; "the vile development of slavery appalled them"; "a slimy little liar"
evil - morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds"
5.wretched - deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "Oh, you poor thing"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"
unfortunate - not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned"

wretched
adjective 3. shameful, mean, low, base, shabby, vile, low-down (informal) paltry, despicable, contemptible, scurvy, crappy (slang) poxy (slang) << OPPOSITE admirable
4. ill, poorly, sick, crook Austral., N.Z. (informal) sickly, unwell, off colour Brit. (informal) under the weather (informal)
Translations
Spanish wretched [ˈrɛtʃɪd] adjmiserable
French wretched [ˈrɛtʃɪd] adjmisérable;
(inf) → maudit(e)

German wretched [ˈrɛtʃɪd] wretch adj (= poor) → erbärmlich (= unhappy); unglücklich;
(inf) (= damned); elend

Italian wretched [ˈrɛtʃɪd] adjdisgraziato/a;
(col) [weather, holiday] → orrendo/a, orribile: [child, dog] → pestifero/a

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Darcy, in wretched suspense, could only say something indistinctly of his concern, and observe her in compassionate silence.
His master one day, pretending to be angry and shaking his stick at him, said, "You wretched little sluggard
We came next day to Mazna, in so wretched a condition that we were not surprised at being hooted by the boys, but thought ourselves well used that they threw no stones at us.
 
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