Meanings
adjectivewretchful (comparative more wretchful, superlative most wretchful)
comparative more wretchful · superlative most wretchful
- previously archaic or obsolete; now apparently used and back in fashion; previously archaic or obsolete; now apparently used and back in fashionWretched.
The wretch had the pernicious habit of writing in Milanese dialect. He was doubly wretchful when he took the liberty of giving birth to parodies of the Divine Comedy.
2012, Rudolph Altrocchi, PhD; Edited by Paul and John Altrocchi, The Playful Spirit: Italian Humor - Page 130
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Middle Englishwreccheful
- Englishwretchful
From Middle English wreccheful; equivalent to wretch + -ful.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
wretchful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wretchful
MLA
“wretchful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wretchful. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wretchful,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wretchful.
Source: wretchful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.