WRETCHEDLY Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

wretchedly

adverb

Definition of wretchedly

as in poorly

in an unsatisfactory way the whole hockey team played wretchedly that night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bitterly

with feelings of bitterness or grief we're wretchedly disappointed in you for behaving so irresponsibly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wretchedly The Eastern Europeans—Yiddish Jews, Kimmel calls them—were poor, wretchedly so. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedly

Adverb

Things were going poorly even before Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign ran the most offensive ad of the year.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
His season started poorly with an injury in the first game of the year.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of poorly

Adverb

The race is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country's history.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
The race was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

— Tia Goldenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitterly

Adverb

Political and legal debates date back to ancient Rome and have been a key part of our nation, beginning with Lincoln-Douglas, yet experts say, sadly, are no longer perceived as necessary.

— Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
There is of course another way to hear ABBA songs sung live onstage, though sadly without Greek island backdrops or background singers wearing floppy swim fins.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

Photos show the badly charred facility was filled with potentially explosive equipment and moonshine ingredients, including propane tanks.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
This hint of connection between them is later made concrete when, at the demonstration, the two are complicit in an act of defiance — throwing a cobblestone at a policeman, badly injuring him — and must skip town for the night.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of badly

Browse Nearby Words

wretched

wretchedly

wretchedness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wretchedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedly. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wretchedly

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes