WRETCH, noun 1. A miserable person; one sunk in the deepest distress; as a forlorn wretch 2. A worthless mortal; as a contemptible wretch 3. A person sunk in vice; as a profligate wretch 4. It is sometimes used by way of slight or ironical pity or contempt. Poor wretch was never frighted so. 5. It is sometimes used to express tenderness; as we say, poor thing.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI