Meaning & use
wretch
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Meanings
nouncountableliterary
A person who is very unhappy, unfortunate, or in a pitiful condition.
Grammar: Often used in literary or formal writing; can be used with pity or sympathy.
Patterns
- poor wretch
- miserable wretch
The poor wretch had lost everything in the fire.
She felt like a wretch, alone and forgotten.
The refugees were treated as wretched wretches, but they kept their dignity.
nouncountabledisapprovingliterary
A person who is considered contemptible or wicked.
Grammar: Used to show strong disapproval or anger; often in literary or formal contexts.
Patterns
- vile wretch
- ungrateful wretch
The villain was a heartless wretch who cared for no one.
That ungrateful wretch never thanked anyone.
He called the thief a miserable wretch.
nouncountablehumorousinformal
A mischievous or annoying person, often used humorously or affectionately.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'you little wretch' to scold someone playfully.
Patterns
- you little wretch
- cheeky wretch
You little wretch! You hid my keys again.
The cheeky wretch ran off with my hat.
She called her brother a wretch for eating the last cookie.
Word forms
| plural | wretches |
|---|
Common combinations
- poor wretch
- The poor wretch had nowhere to go.
- miserable wretch
- He felt like a miserable wretch after the argument.
- you little wretch
- You little wretch! You scared me.
- ungrateful wretch
- She called him an ungrateful wretch.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unfortunate
- Unfortunate is a neutral word for someone who has bad luck; wretch is stronger and suggests deep misery or contempt.
- scoundrel
- Scoundrel means a dishonest or wicked person; wretch can also mean a miserable person, so it is broader.
- rascal
- Rascal is often affectionate for a mischievous person; wretch can be more negative or pitying.
Opposites
Word family
- wretched adjective
- Very unhappy, miserable, or of poor quality.
- wretchedly adverb
- In a miserable or poor way.
- wretchedness noun
- The state of being wretched.
Commonly confused: wretch or retch?
wretch vs retch
Retch means to try to vomit; wretch is a noun for a miserable or contemptible person. They sound the same but are different words.
Practice
In which sentence does 'wretch' mean a person who is very unfortunate and pitiable?
Choose one answer.
Option B shows deep misfortune and pity, which matches the first sense. Option An and D show contempt, and C is a humorous scolding, so they use different senses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wretch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.