Wretched

a. Forms: α. 3–5 wrecched (-ede, 4–5 -id, 4 -ide, 5 -yd, -et), 5 wrechched (-id, -yd); 3–5 wreched (3–4 -ede, 3–5 -id, 4 -yde, 5–6 -yd, Sc. -it, -yt), 5 vrechid, wreached, 6 wreiched; 5– wretched (5–6 -id, -yd, Sc. -it, 6 wreteched). β. 3–4 wrichede (4 -ed, 5 -id), 4 wryched, 4–5 wricched, -id, 5 wrycched. γ Sc. 5–6 wrachit (5 wrochit), 6 wratchet, -eit, -it, ratchit. [Irreg. f. WRETCH a. + -ED¹. Cf. WICKED a.¹]

  1.  Of persons, etc.: Living in a state of misery, poverty or degradation; sunk in distress or dejection; very miserable or unhappy.

  α.  a. 1200.  Vices & Virtues, 9. Ðanne ic wolde ðe wrecchede saule sa rewliche acwellan.

a. 1240.  Wohunge, in O. E. Hom., I. 277. Ihesu … riche ar tu…, and tah poure þu bicom for me, westi and wrecched.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 24517. Allas! quat es me nu to red, I wrechidest of all!

c. 1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 2426. Wreched saul,… what may thou say When þou partes fra þe body away?

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 60. Þe wrechid Thebans bretheren two Were slayne.

c. 1450.  Myrr. our Ladye, 7. So ye vouchsafe of youre tender charyte … to praye for oure right poure & full wretched soulle.

1482.  [see WRETCHEDFUL a.].

1538.  Starkey, England, II. i. 173. Pepul, wych now lyue in idulnes, wrechyd and pore.

a. 1592.  Greene, Alphonsus, IV. iii. I am … the wretchedst man aliue.

1622.  Fletcher, Prophetess, III. i. We are no Spinsters; nor, if you look upon us, So wretched as you take us.

1647.  Cowley, Mistr., My Heart Discovered, 37. What should the wretched Widow do?

1705[?].  Berkeley, in Fraser, Life (1871), 475. Man without God wretcheder than a stone or tree.

1795.  Southey, Vis. Maid Orleans, II. 238. A most wretched band Groan’d underneath the bitter tyranny Of a fierce dæmon.

1829.  Hood, Dream Eugene Aram, xix. My wretched, wretched soul … Was at the Devil’s price.

1858.  Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. i. The poor exasperated Mother, wretchedest and angriest of women.

1882.  J. Hawthorne, Fort. Fool, I. xxiv. A mountain of it can’t make you one hair’s breadth the happier or the wretcheder.

  β.  a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, ii. 2. Þa ere fendis, þat bigiles wricched saules.

  γ.  1567.  Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 24. We wratcheit sinnaris pure, Our sin lies vs forlorne.

  b.  absol., in sing. or plural sense.

1388.  Wyclif, Isaiah xvi. 4. For whi dust is endid, the wretchid [1382 the wrecche] is wastid; he that defoulide the lond failude.

1576.  Whetstone, Rocke of Regard, I. 41, marg. Others pleasures a griefe to the wretched.

1600.  Shaks., A. Y. L., III. v. 37. Who might be your mother That you insult, exult,… Ouer the wretched?

1730.  Thomson, Autumn, 1192. Let These Insnare the wretched in the toils of law.

1794.  Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, liv. The delight of having made the wretched happy.

a. 1806.  H. K. White, Remains (1825), 306. I heard the wretched’s groan, and mourn’d the wretched’s doom.

1844.  Kinglake, Eöthen, ii. The wretched look often more picturesque than their betters.

  2.  Of conditions, etc.: Marked or distinguished by misery or unhappiness; attended by distress, discomfort or sorrow.

  α.  c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 141. Hwu wunderlich was his hider-cume and hwu wrecchede his her-biwist.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 949. Ȝee most leue þis lufsum land, Vnto þe wreched werld to gang.

c. 1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 557. Þe bygynnyng of man … Es vile and wreched to behalde.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 138. A wrecched hous he helde al his lyf tyme.

c. 1450.  Cursor M., 9573 (Laud MS.). Here now my prayere Of this wrecchid preson.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. ii. 47. Myserabul penury and wrechyd pouerty.

1581.  A. Hall, Iliad, I. 3. You see howe in this wretched warre our people doe decay.

1602.  Shaks., Ham., III. iii. 67. Oh wretched state! Oh bosome, blacke as death!

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Past., I. 15. The raging Sword and wastful Fire Destroy the wretched Neighbourhood around.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 402. The Savages … killed them over again in a wretched Manner, breaking their Arms.

1785.  Burns, Winter Night, ix. Think, for a moment, on his wretched fate!

1847.  McCulloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (ed. 3), II. 511. The disorderly and wretched state of the population.

1855.  Tennyson, Maud, II. V. ii. Wretchedest age, since Time began, They cannot even bury a man.

  β.  c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), vi. 21. It es lang sen any durst come nere þat wricched place.

  γ.  c. 1480.  Henryson, Prais of Aige, 25. This wrachit warld may na man trow.

1552.  Lyndesay, Monarche, Prol. 209. In this wracheit vaill of sorrow.

1567.  Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 57. Quhen fra this wratcheit lyfe we wend.

  b.  Of weather, etc.: Causing discomfort; very unpleasant or uncomfortable.

1711.  Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 27 March. A rainy wretched scurvy day from morning till night.

1836.  Dickens, Sk. Boz, Streets—Night. It was such a wretched night out o’ doors.

1888.  Encycl. Dict., s.v., Wretched weather.

  3.  Distinguished by base, vile, or unworthy character or quality; contemptible.

c. 1250.  Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 28. Þo ilke þinges so bieth bitere to þo wrichede flessce.

c. 1290.  Codicem MS. Digby 86 (1871), 99. Weilawei, wrecchede bali, nou þou shalt to bere.

a. 1333.  W. Herebert, in Relig. Lyrics 14th C. (1924), 19. Dame, help at þe noede … Þat uor no wreched gult Ich boe to helle y-pult.

c. 1375.  Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 80. Þat god haue merci.. of my wreched synfulnes.

1456.  Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 172. Of this wrechit disobeysaunce cummys untreuth.

1495.  Rolls of Parlt., VI. 502/2. Their cursed, myschevous and wreched purpose.

1529.  More, Dyaloge, III. xi. Wks. 226. We take suche a wretched pleasure in the hearing of their sin.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 776, margin. Oh depe and wretched dissimulation!

1608.  Topsell, Serpents, 278. The wretched nature of the young man, and his extreame impietie.

1652.  Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 213. Compatriots infected with the same leprosy of a wretched peevishness whereof those … rapacious varlets have given such cannibal-like proofs.

1720.  T. Innes, Crit. Essay (1879), 311. Knox himself … led on the furious mob in this wretched expedition.

1754.  Sherlock, Disc. (1759), I. iii. 109. The wretched Circumstances which put an end to our Lord’s life.

1835.  Dickens, Sk. Boz, Pawn. Shop. Where the practised smile is a wretched mockery of the misery of the heart.

1868.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. ix. 421. The thing was clearly some wretched court intrigue.

  b.  Of a poor, mean or paltry character; mean, worthless; sorry, trifling.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, IX. 403. Quhen sic a knycht, sa richt vorthy As this is…, In-to sic perill has hym set To vyn ane vrechit hamlet.

c. 1450.  Capgrave, St. Augustine, 46. His cloþis … wer not ouyr costful, ne ouyr wrecched.

1450.  Lincoln Diocese Doc., 45. I gyff … my wrechid body to be Beryd in a chitte with-owte any kyste.

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., III. 265. This wretched victory they shall obteine, where … the Lord shal suffer them to ouerspreade the darknes of lyes.

1637.  Milton, Lycidas, 124. Their lean and flashy songs Grate on their scrannel Pipes of wretched straw.

1662.  J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 274. He who play’d upon the Timbrel accompany’d with a wretched inharmonious Voice. Ibid., 406. A wretched coarse Cloth.

1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 13, ¶ 6. The wretched Taste of his Audience.

1726.  Shelvocke, Voy. round World (1757), 297. A paper written in such wretched Spanish as we could muster up amongst us.

1778.  E. Harwood, Eds. Classics (ed. 2), 5. Editions … printed on wretched paper.

1824.  Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. 189. That still wretcheder apology for a coat.

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 263. So wretched had his education been.

1891.  Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xxx. The wretched little islets of Gyara and Tremerus.

  4.  Of persons, etc.: Contemptible in character or quality; despicable, reprehensible; hateful.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 79. There stode a dragon,… Wretched and skaled al wyth asure.

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 82. [When] he hard þis clauce red,… þis wrichid clerk made a skorn þerat & sayd þat it was fals.

1460.  Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 62. Nero…, of alle men wrecchidhest, redy to alle maner vices.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, VII. 400. Had he the warld, and be wrachit off hart, He is no lord as to the worthines.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 37 b. Although they be wretched lyuers & noughty packes.

1560.  trans. Fisher’s Godly Treat. Prayer, C j b. Euery man, be he neuer so extreme and wretched a synner.

c. 1585.  [R. Browne], Answ. Cartwright, 68. To eate the Lordes supper with open vnrepentant & wretched persons is not lawfull.

1710.  Berkeley, Princ. Hum. Knowl., § 92. The absurdities of every wretched sect of Atheists.

1809–10.  Coleridge, Friend (1865), 107. The wretched tyrant … had exhausted the whole magazine of animal terror.

1855.  Tennyson, Maud, X. ii. At war with myself and a wretched race, Sick, sick to the heart of life, am I.

  transf.  1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxxi. (1856), 266. The icebergs are wretched enemies in the dark.

  5.  Of persons or animals: Poor in ability, capacity, character, etc.

c. 1482.  Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 85. On spurre with the whiche he was compellid to stere his wrechid hors to renne.

1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. 150. Such as are farrowed in winter are commonly poore and wretched.

1668.  Evelyn, trans. Freart’s Idea Perf. Paint., 16. By the hand of some wretched Dauber.

1860.  Sala, Lady Chesterfield, 31. The women who make the wretchedest wives in the world.

1864.  Pusey, Lect. Daniel (1876), 363. Daniel’s omission of the wretched kings between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.

  † 6.  Niggardly; miserly. (Cf. WRETCH v.²) Obs.

1652.  Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 280. That the minister is the greediest man in the parish,… and that the richer they become … the more wretched they are.

  7.  Comb., as † wretched-fated, -witched, and esp. wretched-looking.

1591.  Sylvester, Ivry, 425. People … Pleas’d with the blaze, do, wretched-witched Elves, For fuell (fooles) cast-in their willing Selves.

1615.  Chapman, Odyss., XX. 50. Thou most sowre, and wretched-fated man Of all that breath!

1817.  J. Scott, Paris Revisit. (ed. 4), 74. The single wretched-looking horse of each, half drowned in the torrent.

1839.  Penny Cycl., XIII. 383/2. The cattle of the district are in general wretched-looking.

1864.  A. McKay, Hist. Kilmarnock, 295. The wretched-looking farm-houses of former years.

  Hence † Wretcheddom, misery. Obs.

c. 1320.  Cast. Love, 408. He … tyed hym … To wreccheddam [v.r. wrecchedam] and serwe i-nouȝ.