wretched

Everyday

1. Very unhappy, ill or miserable: «I felt wretched with flu.» tree →
2. Very poor or bad in quality: «They lived in wretched huts.» tree →
3. (informal, annoyed) Used to show you are cross with something: «This wretched computer won't work!» tree →
4. Wretched can also describe a person who is wicked and deserves scorn. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, a wretched character is suffering — Toad feels wretched in his dungeon, and poor people in old books live in wretched conditions. In sense 3 it is a mild, annoyed word, not a swear word. In the Bible and old hymns, «a wretch like me» (Amazing Grace) means a sinful, unhappy person whom Christians believe God saves.

Examples

• Toad felt wretched in his cold cell. tree →
• The wretched dog has eaten my homework! tree →
• The refugees lived in wretched tents. tree →
• I felt wretched after staying up so late. tree →
• «Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.» tree →
• Mole felt wretched when he lost his way in the Wild Wood. tree →

Note

Sounds like «RETCH-id», two syllables; the w is silent. A wretch is a miserable or bad person.