different between wretch vs guy
wretch
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)
- An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person.
- 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; […]
- 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 532:
- (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)
- 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
wretch From the web:
- what wretched means
- what wretched man i am
- what wretches the speaker is talking about
- what's wretched
- what wretched weather
- wretchedness meaning
- what wretched means in spanish
- what wretched sentence
guy
English
Pronunciation
- enPR: g?, IPA(key): /?a?/
- Rhymes: -a?
Etymology 1
Named after Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an English Catholic hanged for his role in the Gunpowder Plot.
Noun
guy (plural guys)
- (Britain) An effigy of a man burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th November).
- (dated) A person of eccentric appearance or dress; a "fright".
- 1845, Henry Cockton, The Love Match, W.M. Clark, p. 77:
- “But shan’t I look a guy?”
- “Not a bit of it. Jist the very kick!”
- 1865, Margaret Oliphant, Miss Marjoribanks, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, vol. 97, p. 316:
- I am always a perfect guy, whatever I wear, when I sit against a red curtain. You mean say that a woman always knows when she’s good-looking, but I am happy to say I know when I look a guy.
- 1885, W. S. Gilbert, The Mikado, “As Some Day It May Happen”:
- And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy,
- And who “doesn’t think she dances, but would rather like to try” […].
- 1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus 2014, p. 138:
- Why are you so ashamed that her child saw you looking a guy, sprawled on the floor, spilling cakes?
- 1845, Henry Cockton, The Love Match, W.M. Clark, p. 77:
- (colloquial) A man, fellow.
- Synonyms: dude, fella, homey, bro, bloke, chap; see also Thesaurus:man
- Coordinate terms: gal, broad, dame, girl, jane, woman, bird, chick
- "Yeah we did," said Stacy.
- 2016, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian, 9 March:
- Let’s be honest. “Have I kissed too many guys?” is not a question that mature, sexually active women are likely to be asking Google.
- (especially in the plural) A person (see usage notes).
- (colloquial, of animals and sometimes objects) Thing, creature.
- (colloquial, figuratively) Thing, unit.
- (informal, term of address) Buster, Mack, fella, bud, man.
Usage notes
- In plural, guys may not be completely gender-neutral but it may refer to people of either sex in some circumstances and forms; the greeting “Hey guys”, or any vocative utterance, can generally refer to people of either gender. Referring to a group as “guys” often means a group of men or a mixed-gender group, though usage among American youth may even refer to groups of only women.
- When used of animals, guy usually refers to either a male or one whose gender is not known; it is rarely if ever used of an animal that is known to be female.
- In some varieties of US and Canadian English, you guys revives the distinction between a singular and plural you, much like y'all in other varieties; in this sense, guys may be used for groups of any combination of genders. Cf. usage notes at you guys.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
guy (third-person singular simple present guys, present participle guying, simple past and past participle guyed)
- (intransitive) To exhibit an effigy of Guy Fawkes around the 5th November.
- (transitive) To make fun of, to ridicule with wit or innuendo.
- 2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Penguin 2004, p. 278:
- Swift and other satirists mercilessly guyed the unlettered self-importance of the peddlars of such soul-food, exposing their humility and self-laceration as an egregious and obnoxious form of self-advertisement (s'excuser, c'est s'accuser).
- 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador 2007, p. 187:
- Terry Kilmartin [...], applauded for every ‘um’ and ‘ah’, knew that he was being guyed and had the charm to make it funny.
- 2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Penguin 2004, p. 278:
- (theater, transitive) To play in a comedic manner.
Etymology 2
From Old French guie.
Noun
guy (plural guys or (nonstandard) guies)
- (obsolete, rare) A guide; a leader or conductor.
- (chiefly nautical) A support rope or cable used to guide, steady or secure something which is being hoisted or lowered.
- (chiefly nautical) A support to secure or steady something prone to shift its position or be carried away (e.g. the mast of a ship or a suspension-bridge).
Holonyms
- (nautical): cordage
Derived terms
- guy rope
- guy wire
Translations
Verb
guy (third-person singular simple present guys, present participle guying, simple past and past participle guyed)
- To equip with a support cable.
Translations
See also
- gal
References
- guy at OneLook Dictionary Search
- guy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Anagrams
- yug
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English guy.
Noun
guy m (plural guys, diminutive guytje n)
- (informal, chiefly Netherlands) guy
- Synonyms: gozer, gast, kerel, sjarel
See also
- boy
guy From the web:
- what guys like
- what guys want
- what guys are left on the bachelorette
- what guys think after a hookup
- what guys want for christmas
- what guys want when they are sick
- what guys like about girls
- what guys snaps mean
you may also like
- wretch vs guy
- predominant vs essential
- astonishing vs superb
- fixed vs uncompromising
- persuasion vs think
- manifestation vs premonition
- authority vs tier
- heady vs stimulating
- beloved vs enchanting
- stamp vs earmark
- trim vs mow
- ensign vs stamp
- cursory vs lax
- sharp vs circumspect
- essay vs aim
- inbred vs ingrained
- smash vs jab
- impassioned vs vivid
- rough vs sharp
- watchdog vs guard