From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwretchedwretch‧ed /ˈretʃɪd/ adjective 1 SAD/UNHAPPYSYMPATHIZEsomeone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them the poor, wretched girl2 if you feel wretched, you feel guilty and unhappy because of something bad that you have done Guy felt wretched about it now.3 [only before noun]ANNOY making you feel annoyed or angry Where is that wretched boy?4 literaryBAD extremely bad or unpleasant SYN miserable I was shocked to see their wretched living conditions. —wretchedly adverb —wretchedness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
wretched• Billy lay on the bed, wretched and close to tears.• Why couldn't she put the image of that wretched man out of her mind?• I don't want to have Nicky Scott Wilson fussing round me like a wretched nanny while you're away.• a lonely and wretched old man• It was a venue of pathos and prayers, a wretched place for passengers concerned with their welfare.• wretched poverty• the wretched state of American television• They were no longer the oppressed, wretched teen menials who must take orders, toe the line.• The really wretched thing is, it can only get worse for me.• There was nothing to do but put the wretched thing on.• With a violent drunkard for a husband, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror.Origin wretched (1100-1200) wretch 