wretched
/ˈretʃɪd/ (bre, ipa) · [rˈɛtʃɪd] /ˈretʃɪd/ (ame, ipa) · [rˈɛtʃɪd] /ˈre-chəd How to pronounce wretched (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wretched — 形容詞
- wretchedpositive
- more wretchedcomparative
- most wretchedsuperlative
1. extremely unpleasant, disappointing, or badly made, so that it gives little plea
糟透的
非常糟糕，品質很差
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.
那家飯店端出一份糟透的早餐，冷蛋配上乾巴巴的吐司。
common collocation: wretched meal / service / weather
After three hours online, Owen still had only a wretched signal.
上線三個小時後，Owen 仍然只有差勁的訊號。
We spent the weekend in a wretched cabin with a leaking roof.
我們在一間屋頂漏水的破爛小木屋裡度過了週末。
That was a wretched excuse for missing the team meeting.
那真是個爛透了的藉口，根本不能拿來解釋缺席隊會。
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
難受的
身體不適或心情很差
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.
搭完夜間渡輪後，Manuela 難受得幾乎站不住。
pattern: feel wretched
Darius looked wretched when he came out of the dentist's office.
Darius 從牙醫診所出來時，看起來很不舒服。
pattern: look wretched
Reema was wretched after hearing that her visa had been refused.
Reema 聽到簽證被拒後，整個人都很難受。
By Sunday evening, I felt too wretched to join the family dinner.
到了星期天晚上，我難受到沒法去參加家庭晚餐。
The children were wretched with flu and stayed in bed all week.
孩子們得了流感，整個星期都難受得只能躺在床上。
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
可惡的
帶怒氣地罵惱人的事物
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.
這台可惡的印表機每次我要印登機證時都卡紙。
pattern: this/that wretched + noun
Ari kicked the wretched suitcase after the wheel broke again.
輪子又壞掉後，Ari 踢了那只可惡的行李箱一腳。
We waited outside the wretched bank for forty useless minutes.
我們在那家可惡的銀行外白等了四十分鐘。
Christopher muttered about that wretched alarm before sunrise.
天還沒亮，Christopher 就在抱怨那個可惡的鬧鐘。
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
可憐的
讓人心生同情的
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.
救援隊在市場樓梯下發現一隻發抖的可憐小狗。
wretched + creature causing pity
We passed a wretched camp of families living beside the highway.
我們經過一處可憐的營地，那些家庭就住在高速公路旁。
Élise gave her coat to the wretched child waiting in the rain.
Élise 把外套送給那個在雨中等待的可憐孩子。
The film ends with a wretched old man alone in a bare room.
那部電影最後停在一個可憐的老人獨坐空屋的畫面。
- 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
卑鄙的
品行惡劣，令人不齒
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.
Jason 嘲笑新來清潔工的口音，這種做法很卑鄙。
pattern: it is wretched of + person + to-infinitive
The gang used wretched tricks to cheat elderly tourists out of cash.
那幫人靠卑鄙的手段騙走年長遊客的錢。
Lukas played a wretched trick on his younger cousin for laughs.
Lukas 為了取樂，對年幼的表親耍了一個卑鄙的花招。
Neighbors were tired of the landlord's wretched treatment of migrant workers.
鄰居們受夠了房東對移工那種卑鄙的對待。
- 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.