as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
the clerk was an ungrateful wretch who stole money from his employer's cash register
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wretch
Since then, he’s been a haunted wretch of a character: stoned, sullen, stuck with recurring visions of shooting his wife and himself.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
As Blake transforms into a swollen, oozing wretch who gnaws frantically on his own wounds, his family appears as glowing-eyed aliens, their words a jumble of indecipherable sounds.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The wretch was one E. W. Perera, a pivotal figure in the Ceylonese independence movement—and someone the narrator had celebrated growing up in Sri Lanka.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2023
Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
Or would a wretch like me be saved by His amazing grace?
—Damon Young, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
The song's lyrics also leave no topic off limits, touching on all that made the band wonder and wretch, with a tongue-in-cheek approach.
—Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 12 May 2022
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
As Blake transforms into a swollen, oozing wretch who gnaws frantically on his own wounds, his family appears as glowing-eyed aliens, their words a jumble of indecipherable sounds.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The wretch was one E. W. Perera, a pivotal figure in the Ceylonese independence movement—and someone the narrator had celebrated growing up in Sri Lanka.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2023
Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
Or would a wretch like me be saved by His amazing grace?
—Damon Young, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
The song's lyrics also leave no topic off limits, touching on all that made the band wonder and wretch, with a tongue-in-cheek approach.
—Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 12 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretch
Noun
-
The film is currently filming in London with Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors behind the highest-grossing MCU movies ever, back behind the camera; Downey now playing the chief villain; and a slew of stars from the lost era of Fox's X-Men movies reprising their roles for the first time in years.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 July 2025
-
In 1994, Hogan joined WCW and reinvented himself as a villain, forming the New World Order (nWo) and ushering in a new era of edgy storytelling.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
King's polo playing husband, Bill Mitchell — who went on to become a director for Texaco — became the model for Daisy’s rich brute of a husband, Tom Buchanan.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
But the Cubs could also use him as a trade chip in a monster deal.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
-
When Sinner got an early break in the fourth with another monster backhand, there was an inevitability about the outcome.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
-
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
In his mug shot, Anton bears little resemblance to the handsome devil from the earlier composite image.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
To play devil’s advocate to myself, though, this time around the contestants have air conditioning, which might have been a deal-breaker in order to get any contestants from The Golden Bachelor/ette there.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Betty Ann Tomlinson, 50, was charged Thursday afternoon with arson, conspiracy to commit arson and assisting a criminal.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
Genetic genealogy: Building the family tree of a serial killer Retiree Barbara Rae-Venter never anticipated that her hobby of researching her family tree would lead to the capture of one of the most notorious criminals in California, the Golden State Killer.—
David Morgan
July 11,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Right now, this tiny beast is 52% off, bringing it under $30!—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 July 2025
-
Paleontologists have spent decades hotly debating why such magnificent beasts went extinct, the emerging picture involving a one-two punch of increasing human influence on the landscape and a warmer interglacial climate that began to change the world’s ecosystems.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Royal is a scoundrel, but Hackman finds his way to some really lovely moments: boyishly teasing Anjelica Huston’s Etheline about the old times or quietly consoling Chas about his really rough year.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
-
Alyn, much like Spiranac, gets her share of social media scoundrels in her mentions.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretch. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share