wretchedness

noun

Definition of wretchednessnext
1
as in misery

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2
as in baseness

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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 wretchedness As our cantankerous lead, Molina harumphs lovably from scene to scene, conveying both his character’s indomitable will and the wretchedness of his grief. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026 Director Penny Lane interviews jazz critics who howl at his wretchedness, then balances it with fans who simply don’t care. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedness
  1. misery
  2. baseness
  3. destitution
  4. meanness
  5. poverty
  6. miserableness
  7. woe
  8. criminality
Noun
  • Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story helps contextualize the misery and self-isolation of Cathy’s later years, as the madam of a Salinas whorehouse.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of baseness
Noun
  • The disagreement, then, is not over whether government should prevent destitution in old age.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Becoming a YouTuber had seemed like a way for Chism to stop sliding toward destitution.
    — Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of destitution
Noun
  • Don’t give in to that meanness, and that false belief in scarcity.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Amid so much belabored meanness, meager appeals to conscience scan more like self-conscious obligation, easily subsumed by impotence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of meanness
Noun
  • Families with household income up to 400% of the federal poverty level qualify, meaning a family of four earning up to $132,000 a year could apply for the 2026–27 school year.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • His supporters point to other parts of his record, including reductions in poverty and efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of poverty
Noun
  • Luke and Kristen squabble for the entirety of the trip, which only adds to its miserableness.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of miserableness
Noun
  • Another offensive line injury The woes continue on the offensive line, as right tackle Matt McCoy was injured at the end of UM’s most recent drive late in the second quarter.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Olathe Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday night to close six schools in the district — five elementary schools and one middle school — after a lengthy discussion about financial woes and parent opposition.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of woe
Noun
  • Van Houten ultimately determined the allegations did not warrant charges because of a lack of criminality.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Madlanga Commission, a judicial inquiry set up after a senior police commander alleged last year that criminality and political interference had penetrated the justice system, has now sat for more than 180 days.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminality

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wretchedly
wretchedness
wretches
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Cite this Entry

“Wretchedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedness. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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