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Wretched

//ˈɹɛt͡ʃɪd// adj, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.

    "I felt wretched after my wife died."

  2. 2
    Of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status; contemptible, lowly.

    "The street was full of wretched beggars dressed in rags."

  3. 3
    Of an insignificant, mean, or poor nature; miserable, paltry, worthless.

    "All those wretched quarrels, in his humble opinion, stirring up bad blood – bump of combativeness or gland of some kind, erroneously supposed to be about a punctilio of honour and a flag, – were very largely a question of the money question which was at the back of everything, greed and jealousy, people never knowing when to stop."

  4. 4
    Of a person, etc.: behaving in a manner causing contempt; base, despicable, wicked.

    "But a Devil came in juſt in the God-ſpeed, and told them; Gentlemen Philoſophers, (ſays he) if you vvould knovv the VVretched'ſt, and moſt contemptible thing in the VVorld; It is an Alchymiſt: […]"

  5. 5
    Of weather: causing much discomfort; very unpleasant; miserable.
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  1. 6
    Used to express annoyance towards or dislike of someone or something: bloody, damned. informal

    "Will you please stop playing that wretched trombone!"

Adjective
  1. 1
    characterized by physical misery wordnet
  2. 2
    deserving or inciting pity wordnet
  3. 3
    morally reprehensible wordnet
  4. 4
    very unhappy; full of misery wordnet
  5. 5
    of very poor quality or condition wordnet

Etymology

From Middle English wrecched (“(adjective) characterized by or suffering hardship or misfortune, miserable, unfortunate, unhappy; indigent, poor; of low economic or social status, lowly; (noun) miserable person”) [and other forms], from wrecche (“characterized by or suffering hardship or misfortune, miserable, unfortunate, unhappy; indigent, poor; of low economic or social status, lowly; base, contemptible, vile; reprehensible, wicked; miserly, stingy; of little importance, paltry, worthless”) (from Late Old English wrecc, from Old English wreċċa (“an exile, outcast”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“to follow, track; to hunt”)) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as wretch (“(obsolete) wretched”, adjective) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives).

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