different between wretched vs damned

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.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dæmd/
• Homophone: dammed

Adjective

damned (comparative damneder or more damned, superlative damnedest or most damned)

1. Godforsaken.
2. Variant of profane damn, used to express contempt, exasperation, etc. towards someone or something.

   Their damned lawyers can go to hell.

   I can't get this damned thing to work.

3. Used to express vehemently that one is not or does not do something, or refuses to be or do something.

Synonyms

• (god-forsaken): See Thesaurus:doomed
• (profanity): See Thesaurus:damned

Derived terms

• ever-damned

Translations

Adverb

damned (comparative more damned, superlative most damned)

1. (mildly vulgar) Very.

   What's so damned important about a football game?

Verb

damned

1. simple past tense and past participle of damn

Anagrams

• Dedman, Madden, demand, madden, manded