What is the Latin word for wretched?

The usual Latin words for “wretched” are miser, miserābilis, flēbilis; also afflīgō, aerumnōsus, calamitōsus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“wretched” in Latin

miserpoor, wretched, pitiful; miserable, unhappy; worthless, null miserābilispitiable, miserable, deplorable, lamentable, wretched, sad, pitiful, pathetic flēbilislamentable; doleful, tearful afflīgōto strike, beat, dash (against); cast or throw down, prostrate; to afflict, damage, injure, crush, break or ruin; to hum aerumnōsussuffering, wretched, miserable calamitōsuscalamitous, disastrous, ruinous, destructive improbusexcessive, immoderate, flagrant, impudent; greedy, wanton, ravenous; wicked, bad, villainous, immoral, impious, maliciou nēquamworthless, good-for-nothing; wretched, vile

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

wretched

Unhappy, miser (miserable): miserabilis (pitiable): flebilis (lamentable). (The words are found in this connection and order.) miser et flebilis. A wretched look, aspectus miserabilis.

Bad, worthless, malus. A wretched man, homo malus, improbus, nequam, improbus ac nefarius.

Poor, in bad circumstances, miser (pitiable): afflictus (broken down): aerumnosus (burdened with trouble): calamitosus (afflicted with many sufferings and adversities).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for wretched?: The usual Latin words for “wretched” are miser, miserābilis, flēbilis; also afflīgō, aerumnōsus, calamitōsus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.