From Middle English wrecche, from Old English wreċċa, from Proto-Germanic *wrakjô, from Proto-Indo-European *wreg-.

• IPA: /ɹɛt͡ʃ/

wretch (plural wretches)

1. An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person.
2. An unpleasant, annoying, worthless, or despicable person.
   • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 532”, in Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC ↗:

     […] Alaeddin ate and drank and was cheered and after he had rested and had recovered spirits he cried, "Ah, O my mother, I have a sore grievance against thee for leaving me to that accursed wight who strave to compass my destruction and designed to take my life. Know that I beheld Death with mine own eyes at the hand of this damned wretch, whom thou didst certify to be my uncle; […]

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC ↗:

     How I cursed my selfishness and the folly that had kept me lingering by Ayesha's side while my dear boy lay dying! Alas and alas! how easily the best of us are lighted down to evil by the gleam of a woman's eyes! What a wicked wretch was I!

3. (archaic) An exile.

• French: malheureux, malheureuse, misérable
• German: Loser, Tropf, armer Schlucker, armer Teufel, armes Schwein, armseliger Wicht
• Italian: miserabile, iellato, omuncolo, straccio, tapino
• Portuguese: miserável, desgraçado, coitado
• Russian: бедня́га
• Spanish: desgraciado, desventurado, desgraciada, desventurada

• German: elender Wicht

1. Misspelling of retch