What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Wretch vs Dretch - What's the difference?

wretch | dretch |

As nouns the difference between wretch and dretch

is that wretch is an unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person while dretch is an idle wench; a slattern.

As a verb dretch is

to vex; grill; trouble; oppress or dretch can be to delay; linger; tarry.

wretch

English

Noun

(es)
  • An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person.
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=1742 , author=Henry Fielding , title=Joseph Andrews , chapter=12 citation , passage=The poor wretch , who lay motionless a long time, just began to recover his senses as a stage-coach came by.}}
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=1789 , author=Watkin Tench , title=The Expedition to Botany Bay , chapter=14 citation , passage=The four unhappy wretches labouring under sentence of banishment were freed from their fetters, to rejoin their former society; and three days given as holidays to every convict in the colony.}}
  • An unpleasant, annoying person.
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=1740 , author=Samuel Richardson , title=Pamela , chapter=71 citation , passage=Swear to me but, thou bold wretch ! said she, swear to me, that Pamela Andrews is really and truly thy lawful wife, without sham, without deceit, without double-meaning; and I know what I have to say!}}
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=1823 , author=Walter Scott , title=Saint Ronan's Well , chapter=32 citation , passage=I asked that selfish wretch , Winterblossom, to walk down with me to view her distress, and the heartless beast told me he was afraid of infection!}}
  • (archaic) An exile. (rfex)

    • External links

    * * *

    dretch

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) dretchen, drecchen, drechen, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (es)
  • To vex; grill; trouble; oppress.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) dretchen, drecchen, drechen, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (Scotland)

    Verb

    (es)
  • To delay; linger; tarry.
  • To move slowly and heavily; dawdle; loiter.

    • Noun

    (dretches)
  • An idle wench; a slattern.
  • A person slow in the execution of a job; a dawdler.