different between scoundrel vs wretch

English

Etymology

Possibly related to northern English or Scottish scunner: "to shrink back in fear or loathing" (Encyclopædia Britannica 1911).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ska??nd??l/

Noun

scoundrel (plural scoundrels)

1. A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a person without honour or virtue.

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:villain

Derived terms

• scoundrelish, scoundrelly, scoundrelous, scoundrelously

Translations

See also

• Scoundrel in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English wrecche, from Old English wre??a (“exile, outcast”), from Proto-Germanic *wrakjô (“exile, fugitive, warrior”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“to track, follow”). Doublet of garçon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?
• Homophone: retch

Noun

wretch (plural wretches)

1. An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person.
2. An unpleasant, annoying, worthless, or despicable person.
   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 532:

     […] Alaeddin ate and drank and was cheered and after he had rested and had recovered spirits he cried, "Ah, O my mother, I have a sore grievance against thee for leaving me to that accursed wight who strave to compass my destruction and designed to take my life. Know that I beheld Death with mine own eyes at the hand of this damned wretch, whom thou didst certify to be my uncle; […]
3. (archaic) An exile. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Derived terms

• wretched

Translations

Etymology 2

Verb

wretch (third-person singular simple present wretches, present participle wretching, simple past and past participle wretched)

1. Misspelling of retch.

Further reading

• wretch in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• wretch in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• wretch at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “wretch”, in Online Etymology Dictionary