Synonyms for wretched
- adjective
Most common
pathetic pitiful deplorable pitiable depressing lamentable shoddy afflicted
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Miserable — of a person, etc., behaving in a manner causing contempt; base, despicable, wicked
pitiful, pitiable, vile, deplorable, despicable, worthless, pathetic, execrable, contemptible, abject, hapless, loathsome, paltry, abominable, filthy, shabby, degraded, sorry, detestable, shameful, ugly, ignoble
2. Desolate — characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable
desolate, unhappy, woeful, forlorn, sad, sorrowful, lamentable, depressing, melancholy, dismal, cheerless, desperate, unfortunate, doleful, joyless, disconsolate, grievous, dejected, despondent, tragic, mournful, heartsick
3. Poor — of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status; contemptible, lowly
poor, bad, inferior, lousy, crummy informal, shoddy, cheap, low-grade, cheesy, scrubby
4. Piteous — of an insignificant, mean, or poor nature; miserable, paltry, worthless
Definitions
- adj. 1
Characterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
I felt wretched after my wife died.
- adj. 2
Of an inferior or unworthy nature or social status; contemptible, lowly.
The street was full of wretched beggars dressed in rags.
- adj. 3
Of an insignificant, mean, or poor nature; miserable, paltry, worthless.
I just lack the fine motor skill. Same reason I'm a grown man who doesn't know how to use a screwdriver without looking like a retard. Oh, I'm wretched.
- adj. 4
Of a person, etc.: behaving in a manner causing contempt; base, despicable, wicked.
Related words
- Word family
- wretchedly wretchedness wretch wretchful
Example sentences
- pathetic The education in that institute is simply pathetic.
- pitiful The pitiful tale fetched tears from the girl.
- deplorable The roads of this city are in deplorable condition.
- pitiable Jason is no bad guy, but rather a pitiable loser.
- depressing Recently, you've been depressing to hang out with.
- lamentable And now let's discuss the lamentable state of affairs.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| wretched | rising | |
| pathetic | rising | |
| pitiful | rising | |
| deplorable | falling | |
| pitiable | steady | |
| depressing | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1, sad1
- 4 letters
- poor1, ugly2, vile1
- 5 letters
- sorry2, cheap1, petty2, lousy2
- 6 letters
- tragic2, filthy2, cheesy2, shabby2, dismal2, abject2, shoddy2, paltry2, woeful2, crummy2
- 7 letters
- unhappy3, blasted2, pitiful3, hapless2, forlorn2, joyless, scrubby2, ignoble3, doleful2, piteous
- 8 letters
- pathetic3, bleeding2, inferior4, shameful2, degraded3, desolate3, grievous2, dejected3, mournful2, trifling2, pitiable4
- 9 letters
- suffering3, desperate2, worthless2, afflicted3, loathsome2, sorrowful3, execrable4, heartsick, cheerless
- 10 letters
- depressing3, despicable4, melancholy4, deplorable4, abominable5, despondent3, detestable, lamentable4
- 11 letters
- unfortunate4
- 12 letters
- contemptible4, disconsolate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ugly2 = 2 syllables).