different between tragic vs wretched

English

Alternative forms

• tragick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ???????? (tragikós, “of or relating to tragedy”), from ?????? (trágos, “male goat”), a reference to the goat-satyrs of the theatrical plays of the Dorians.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?æd??k/
• Rhymes: -æd??k

Adjective

tragic (comparative more tragic, superlative most tragic)

1. Causing great sadness or suffering.
2. Relating to tragedy in a literary work.
3. (in tabloid newspapers) Having been the victim of a tragedy.
   • 2008, Search for tragic Madeleine McCann over (in The Daily Telegraph of Australia, 14 February 2008) [2]
   • 2012, Gary Meneely, Keano’s tribute to tragic James (in The Irish Sun, 25 June 2012) [3]

Derived terms

• tragic flaw

Related terms

• tragicomic
• tragical
• tragically

Translations

Noun

tragic (plural tragics)

1. (Australia, colloquial) An obsessive fan, a superfan
   • 2011 March 31. James Macsmith "General Russell Crowe and his Rabbitoh minions" CNN Travel:

     Within the club itself, Crowe is regarded not only as a benefactor but as a fanatic -- a Rabbitohs tragic.

   • 2013 March 13. Ricky Stuart, quoted in "Doping scandal is overwhelming league: Stuart":

     I'm a fan of rugby league. I'm a tragic of rugby league.

   • 2013 August 28. Kent Steedman, The Guardian "The Knowledge: Rifled In"

     Damian was/is a football tragic, the rest of us just like it to varying degrees.

   • 2015 March 29. Jermaine, Wharf Hotel website WE DON'T LIKE FOOTBALL - WE LOVE IT!

     Footy's back and as I'm a footy tragic it means I'm one very happy man.

2. (obsolete) A writer of tragedy.
3. (obsolete) A tragedy; a tragic drama.

Romanian

Etymology

From French tragique, from Latin tragicus.

Adjective

tragic m or n (feminine singular tragic?, masculine plural tragici, feminine and neuter plural tragice)

1. tragical

Declension

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English wrecched, equivalent to wretch +? -ed.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???t??d/

Adjective

wretched (comparative wretcheder or more wretched, superlative wretchedest or most wretched)

1. Very miserable; feeling deep affliction or distress.

   I felt wretched after my wife died.
2. Worthless; paltry; very poor or mean; miserable.

   The street was full of wretched beggars dressed in rags.
3. (obsolete) Hatefully contemptible; despicable; wicked.
4. (informal) Used to express dislike of or annoyance towards the mentioned thing.

   Will you please stop playing that wretched trombone!

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "wretched" is often applied: woman, state, life, condition, creature, man, excess, person, place, world, being, situation, weather, slave, animal, city, village, health, house, town.

Synonyms

• (very miserable): See Thesaurus:sad or Thesaurus:lamentable
• (worthless): See Thesaurus:insignificant
• (hatefully contemptible): See Thesaurus:despicable

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

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

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?t/
• Rhymes: -?t?t

Verb

wretched

1. Misspelling of retched.