1. Very miserable; sunk in, or accompanied by, deep affliction or distress, as from want, anxiety, or grief; calamitous; woeful; very
afflicting. "To what wretched state reserved!" Milton.
O cruel! Death! to those you are more kind
Than to the wretched mortals left behind.
Waller. 2. Worthless; paltry; very poor or mean; miserable; as, a wretched poem; a wretched cabin.
3. Hatefully contemptible; despicable; wicked. [Obs.] "Wretched ungratefulness." Sir P. Sidney.
Nero reigned after this Claudius, of all men wretchedest, ready to all manner [of] vices.
Capgrave. Wretchedly
(Wretch"ed*ly), adv. In a wretched manner; miserably; despicable.
Wretchedness
(Wretch"ed*ness), n.
1. The quality or state of being wretched; utter misery. Sir W. Raleigh.
2. A wretched object; anything despicably. [Obs.]
Eat worms and such wretchedness.
Chaucer. Wretchful
(Wretch"ful) a. Wretched. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Wretchless
(Wretch"less), a. [See Reckless.] Reckless; hence, disregarded. [Obs.] — Wretch"less*ly,
adv. [Obs.] — Wretch"less*ness, n. [Obs.] Bk. of Com. Prayer.
Your deaf ears should listen
Unto the wretchless clamors of the poor.
J. Webster. Wrey
(Wrey) v. t. See Wray. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Wrie
(Wrie) a. & v. See Wry. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Wrig
(Wrig) v. i. To wriggle. [Obs.] Skelton.
Wriggle
(Wrig"gle) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wriggled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wriggling ] [Freq. of wrig, probably
from OE. wrikken to move to and fro; cf. LG. wriggeln, D. wrikken, Sw. vricka, Dan. vrikke.] To
move the body to and fro with short, writhing motions, like a worm; to squirm; to twist uneasily or quickly
about.
Both he and successors would often wriggle in their seats,
as long as the cushion lasted.
Swift. Wriggle
(Wrig"gle), v. t. To move with short, quick contortions; to move by twisting and squirming; like a
worm.
Covetousness will wriggle itself out at a small hole.
Fuller.
Wriggling his body to recover
His seat, and cast his right leg over.
Hudibras. Wriggle
(Wrig"gle), a. Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible. [Obs.] "Their wriggle tails." Spenser.
Wriggler
(Wrig"gler) n. One who, or that which, wriggles. Cowper.
Wright
(Wright) n. [OE. wrighte, writhe, AS. wyrtha, fr. wyrcean to work. &radic145. See Work.]
One who is engaged in a mechanical or manufacturing business; an artificer; a workman; a manufacturer; a
mechanic; esp., a worker in wood; — now chiefly used in compounds, as in millwright, wheelwright, etc.
He was a well good wright, a carpenter.
Chaucer.
