as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
the clerk was an ungrateful wretch who stole money from his employer's cash register
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Recent Examples of wretch
The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
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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
Washington Park neighborhood was torched by some ungrateful wretch just hours after a crowd of about 200 kids and adults lit the tree and enjoyed a night of caroling in the grassy median at Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Boulevard.
—Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 10 Dec. 2021
Ji Seong-ho is a street kid, a homeless kid, a wretch.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 May 2020
While many superhero shows continue to traffic in one-dimensional super villains, the sophisticated dramas give us more ambiguous wretches.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018
Smart security services may see, on smart video, that their populations get restive—but that doesn’t mean the wretches actually stop.
—Bruce Sterling, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2018
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
Washington Park neighborhood was torched by some ungrateful wretch just hours after a crowd of about 200 kids and adults lit the tree and enjoyed a night of caroling in the grassy median at Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Boulevard.
—Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 10 Dec. 2021
Ji Seong-ho is a street kid, a homeless kid, a wretch.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 May 2020
While many superhero shows continue to traffic in one-dimensional super villains, the sophisticated dramas give us more ambiguous wretches.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018
Smart security services may see, on smart video, that their populations get restive—but that doesn’t mean the wretches actually stop.
—Bruce Sterling, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretch
Noun
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Or even an appearance from Tom Holland’s Peter Parker that would mean two hours haven’t been wasted watching this forgettable origin tale of a villain who’s not really THAT bad.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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Sony still had the film rights to multiple Spider-Man villains and side-characters, and thus, went to work building its own universe.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Others claim that the brute was named either for a popular near beer or for a Sunday comic strip about monkeys.Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Nov. 2024
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When searching for reprieve, there’s sanctuary in a movie musical that looks like a Broadway smash, a Colosseum full of vintage brutes, a Harry Styles simile.Raven Smith, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The Giannis Antetokounmpo show was in full effect, as the Greek Freak put up a monster performance with 32 points and 14 rebounds.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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Players play through 10 quests battling monsters, discovering treasure and avoiding traps in the cassic style of game play.Rob Wieland, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
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Sipping whiskey, a wise devil offers: Advice love, giant love, self love, superstar love, dumb love, trouble love?Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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People gather expectantly on the streets or gaze from their windows, and then the performers arrive, all garbed in red devil costumes, complete with horns and pitchforks covered in sparkling fireworks.Matt Ralphs, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The film focuses on young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) — who's accidentally left home alone over the holidays — and his clever plans to outwit a pair of criminals trying to rob his home on Christmas Eve.Athena Sobhan, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Trump has said deportations will focus on criminals first, as immigration enforcement has since former President Barack Obama's presidency.Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Nothing more unlovely inhabits the Venetian lagoon, and there’s the rub: the beast is notably loyal to that neighborhood.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
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How much were humans to blame for driving these beasts to extinction?Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But think like a scoundrel for a second, like Star Wars Outlaws asks you to.Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
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The plot is very old-school Conan Doyle, with scoundrels in sideburns and evil temptresses in gaudy frilly outfits.Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
Articles Related to wretch
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Cite this Entry
“Wretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretch. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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