wretchedly

adverb

Definition of wretchedlynext
1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way the whole hockey team played wretchedly that night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief we're wretchedly disappointed in you for behaving so irresponsibly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wretchedly The Eastern Europeans—Yiddish Jews, Kimmel calls them—were poor, wretchedly so. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedly
  1. poorly
  2. bitterly
  3. bad
  4. sadly
  5. badly
  6. sorrowfully
  7. painfully
Adverb
  • A week ago, the Chiefs defense opened so poorly that coordinator Steve Spagnuolo provided a reality check on the sideline in the first quarter.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Even though the score was 27-27 in the fourth quarter and SC's defense seemed to get a stop on a long third down, a trademark poorly timed, and frankly absurd and ridiculous, roughing the passer penalty gave the Ducks a free first down.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • The country is already bitterly divided, with far-left and far-right parties leading opinion polls ahead of presidential elections next year.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Although the father of the proposal, Dave Regan, is the president of a union, the labor movement is bitterly divided over the effort.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitterly
Adverb
  • Another would be to coat your thumbs with a bad-tasting substance.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of bad
Adverb
  • Swift’s hubby Travis Kelce, however, was sadly absent from the show, as the NFL star had a Chiefs game against the Miami Dolphins in Florida today.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The dine-in omakase counter has sadly departed, but in its stead, Café Sushi Shoten has adopted a to-go model paired with Japanese groceries and sundries that is no less authentic, engaging, and delicious.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sadly
Adverb
  • The extraordinary female characters at the heart of the show will be pushed to extremes, behave deliciously badly and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But few could have anticipated just how badly the film would bomb.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Definition of sorrowfully
Adverb
  • For the past three decades, defense procurement was a stagnant oligopoly dominated by a handful of massive legacy prime contractors and painfully slow cost-plus research-and-development cycles.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Life opened like a zipper, separating them painfully at first, notch by notch, then faster, wider, until the garment lay split in two.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of painfully

Browse Nearby Words

wretched
wretchedly
wretchedness
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Cite this Entry

“Wretchedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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