wretched
/ˈretʃɪd/ (bre, ipa) · [rˈɛtʃɪd] /ˈretʃɪd/ (ame, ipa) · [rˈɛtʃɪd] /ˈre-chəd How to pronounce wretched (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wretched — adjective
- wretchedpositive
- more wretchedcomparative
- most wretchedsuperlative
1. extremely unpleasant, disappointing, or badly made, so that it gives little plea
extremely unpleasant, disappointing, or badly made, so that it gives little pleasure or value
The hotel served a wretched breakfast of cold eggs and dry toast.
common collocation: wretched meal / service / weather
After three hours online, Owen still had only a wretched signal.
We spent the weekend in a wretched cabin with a leaking roof.
That was a wretched excuse for missing the team meeting.
文法句型
a wretched + noun
be wretched
用法筆記
Often modifies everyday nouns such as weather, food, service, or excuse. It sounds stronger and more emotional than simply saying something is bad.
常見錯誤
2. feeling physically awful or deeply unhappy, often in a tired, weak, or hopeless
feeling physically awful or deeply unhappy, often in a tired, weak, or hopeless way
After the night ferry, Manuela felt wretched and could barely stand.
pattern: feel wretched
Darius looked wretched when he came out of the dentist's office.
pattern: look wretched
Reema was wretched after hearing that her visa had been refused.
By Sunday evening, I felt too wretched to join the family dinner.
The children were wretched with flu and stayed in bed all week.
文法句型
feel wretched
look wretched
be wretched with + illness
用法筆記
Most often appears after linking verbs such as feel, look, or be. A with-phrase often names an illness, while an after-clause explains the cause of emotional misery.
3. said before a noun when you are irritated by a person, thing, or situation and w
said before a noun when you are irritated by a person, thing, or situation and want to complain about it strongly
This wretched printer jams every time I need boarding passes.
pattern: this/that wretched + noun
Ari kicked the wretched suitcase after the wheel broke again.
We waited outside the wretched bank for forty useless minutes.
Christopher muttered about that wretched alarm before sunrise.
文法句型
this/that wretched + noun
用法筆記
Usually comes before a noun in a complaint and often appears with this or that. It shows the speaker's irritation, not just a neutral judgment about quality.
常見錯誤
4. so unhappy, weak, or badly treated that it makes other people feel sorry for it
so unhappy, weak, or badly treated that it makes other people feel sorry for it
The rescue team found a wretched puppy shivering under the market stairs.
wretched + creature causing pity
We passed a wretched camp of families living beside the highway.
Élise gave her coat to the wretched child waiting in the rain.
The film ends with a wretched old man alone in a bare room.
- fortunate
having good luck or favorable circumstances
- comfortable
living without visible hardship
文法句型
a wretched + person/animal/place
be wretched in + conditions
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the pity the person or creature causes in others. Unlike sense 2, it describes how the situation looks from the outside, not only how the subject feels.
常見錯誤
5. morally unpleasant in a petty or selfish way, so that the person deserves contem
morally unpleasant in a petty or selfish way, so that the person deserves contempt rather than sympathy
It was wretched of Jason to laugh at the new cleaner's accent.
pattern: it is wretched of + person + to-infinitive
The gang used wretched tricks to cheat elderly tourists out of cash.
Lukas played a wretched trick on his younger cousin for laughs.
Neighbors were tired of the landlord's wretched treatment of migrant workers.
- despicable
stronger and more direct in moral condemnation
- vile
strong and often used for shocking behavior
- mean
more everyday and often less severe
文法句型
it is wretched of + someone + to-infinitive
wretched + behavior/trick/treatment
用法筆記
Often appears in moral judgments, especially in patterns like 'It was wretched of X to ...' or with nouns such as trick, behavior, and treatment. Unlike sense 4, this sense invites blame, not pity.