Wretchedness
//ˈɹɛt͡ʃɪdnəs// noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An unhappy state of mental or physical suffering. uncountable, usually
"She saw only that he was quiet and unobtrusive, and she liked him for it. He did not disturb the wretchedness of her mind by ill-timed conversation."
- 2 the quality of being poor and inferior and sorry wordnet
- 3 A state of prolonged misfortune, privation, or anguish. uncountable, usually
- 4 the character of being uncomfortable and unpleasant wordnet
- 5 a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune wordnet
Example
More examples"He was a pitiable spectacle of neglect and wretchedness as he sat there on an upturned pail, eating his bread and cheese with fingers that, like his clothing, were grimed with paint and dirt."
Etymology
From Middle English wrecchednesse; equivalent to wretched + -ness.
More for "wretchedness"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.