Wretch \Wretch\, n. [OE. wrecche, AS. wrecca, wr[ae]cca, an
exile, a wretch, fr. wrecan to drive out, punish; properly,
an exile, one driven out, akin to AS. wr[ae]c an exile, OS.
wrekkio a stranger, OHG. reccheo an exile. See Wreak, v.
t.]
[1913 Webster]
1. A miserable person; one profoundly unhappy. "The wretch
that lies in woe." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son,
Wretch even then, life's journey just begun?
--Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
2. One sunk in vice or degradation; a base, despicable
person; a vile knave; as, a profligate wretch.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Wretch is sometimes used by way of slight or ironical
pity or contempt, and sometimes to express tenderness;
as we say, poor thing. "Poor wretch was never frighted
so." --Drayton.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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63 Moby Thesaurus words for "wretch":
Bowery bum, beachcomber, beggar, beggarly fellow, blackguard,
blighter, budmash, bum, bummer, caitiff, cur, derelict, devil, dog,
drifter, drunkard, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, hobo,
human wreck, knave, lowlife, martyr, mauvais sujet, mean wretch,
mucker, no-good, object of compassion, pauvre diable, pilgarlic,
poor creature, poor devil, prey, rapscallion, rascal, rogue,
rotter, sad case, sad sack, scalawag, scoundrel, scum,
skid-row bum, skunk, snake, stiff, stinkard, stinker, sufferer,
sundowner, swagman, toad, tramp, truant, vag, vagabond, vagrant,
vaurien, victim, villain, wastrel, worm, worthless fellow
Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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Wretch \Wretch\, n. [OE. wrecche, AS. wrecca, wr[ae]cca, an
exile, a wretch, fr. wrecan to drive out, punish; properly,
an exile, one driven out, akin to AS. wr[ae]c an exile, OS.
wrekkio a stranger, OHG. reccheo an exile. See Wreak, v.
t.]
1. A miserable person; one profoundly unhappy. ``The wretch
that lies in woe.'' --Shak.
Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son, Wretch
even then, life's journey just begun? --Cowper.
2. One sunk in vice or degradation; a base, despicable
person; a vile knave; as, a profligate wretch.
Note: Wretch is sometimes used by way of slight or ironical
pity or contempt, and sometimes to express tenderness;
as we say, poor thing. ``Poor wretch was never frighted
so.'' --Drayton.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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