First published 1928; not yet revised More entries for "wretch"
wretchnoun & adjective
Factsheet
What does the word wretch mean?
There are 15 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word wretch, seven of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the word wretch?
About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 17 |
| 1760 | 17 |
| 1770 | 19 |
| 1780 | 19 |
| 1790 | 19 |
| 1800 | 19 |
| 1810 | 18 |
| 1820 | 16 |
| 1830 | 14 |
| 1840 | 12 |
| 1850 | 10 |
| 1860 | 9.7 |
| 1870 | 9.2 |
| 1880 | 8.6 |
| 1890 | 8.2 |
| 1900 | 6.7 |
| 1910 | 5.3 |
| 1920 | 3.8 |
| 1930 | 3.2 |
| 1940 | 2.5 |
| 1950 | 2.1 |
| 1960 | 1.9 |
| 1970 | 1.6 |
| 1980 | 1.2 |
| 1990 | 1.2 |
| 2000 | 1.4 |
| 2010 | 1.6 |
How is the word wretch pronounced?
British English
/rɛtʃ/
retch
U.S. English
/rɛtʃ/
retch
Where does the word wretch come from?
Earliest known use
Old English
The earliest known use of the word wretch is in the Old English period (pre-1150).
wretch is a word inherited from Germanic.
Nearby entries
- wrestless, adj.1621–
- wrestling, n.Old English–
- wrestling, adj.a1547–
- wrestling game, n.1596–1874
- wrestling place, n.c1440–
- wrestling pull, n.1602
- wrestling school, n.1835–
- wrest-pin, n.1783–
- wrest-plank, n.1799–
- wrest plough | wrest plow, n.1836–
- wretch, n. & adj.Old English–
- wretch, v.a1513–1633
- wretchcock, n.1641–1817
- wretchdom, n.?c1225–1400
- wretched, adj.a1200–
- wretcheddom, n.c1320
- wretchedful, adj.1382–1482
- wretchedhead, n.a1300–1400
- wretchedly, adv.1297–
- wretchedness, n.a1340–
- wretchful, adj.a1382–82
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for wretch, n. & adj.
wretch, n. & adj. was first published in 1928; not yet revised.
wretch, n. & adj. was last modified in March 2024.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into wretch, n. & adj. in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1928)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for wretch, n. & adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- wrestless, adj.1621–
- wrestling, n.Old English–
- wrestling, adj.a1547–
- wrestling game, n.1596–1874
- wrestling place, n.c1440–
- wrestling pull, n.1602
- wrestling school, n.1835–
- wrest-pin, n.1783–
- wrest-plank, n.1799–
- wrest plough | wrest plow, n.1836–
- wretch, n. & adj.Old English–
- wretch, v.a1513–1633
- wretchcock, n.1641–1817
- wretchdom, n.?c1225–1400
- wretched, adj.a1200–
- wretcheddom, n.c1320
- wretchedful, adj.1382–1482
- wretchedhead, n.a1300–1400
- wretchedly, adv.1297–
- wretchedness, n.a1340–
- wretchful, adj.a1382–82
