noun
wretch
A person regarded as wicked or deserving contempt.
The cruel wretch steals the money meant for hungry children.
Etymology
The outcast sense also acquired moral condemnation. Wretch could identify someone judged contemptible rather than merely unfortunate.
More examples
- Whoever abandoned this dog is a heartless wretch.
- She calls him a wretch for betraying his closest friend.
- Those greedy wretches cheat people out of their savings.
Forms
wretch · wretches
Similar words
- scoundrel
- Emphasizes dishonest or dishonorable behavior rather than general contemptibility.
- villain
- Suggests deliberate evil or cruelty, often within a story.