Questions about example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "Wretchedness"

A: It means "it is a lot better than zero".

To say something "beats" something else can mean to be better than it (chocolate beats vanilla). "The heck out of" is a colorful way to add emphasis. It means it is a *lot* better than zero.

A: wretched

The fairy tale Cinderella gives us many examples of uses for the word wretched. Poor Cinderella had a wretched childhood, living in wretched conditions with a wretched stepmother. It would be enough to make anyone feel wretched, or absolutely terrible.

Wretched is an all-around unhappy word. If you're very ill, heartbroken, or riddled with guilt, you may feel wretched. This word is also used to describe awful living conditions. If your cabin at sleep-away camp is freezing cold and rat-infested, you could describe it as wretched. And if you truly don't like someone, you might call that person wretched — though maybe not to his or her face.

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/wretched

https://refineyourenglish.com/

A: In case you were wondering, the word "wretched" could be used in these sentences:
"I'm feeling wretched because my dog has passed away."
"I'm feeling wretched after a bad night of sleep."
Not a very commonly-used word, it's more of a very formal word.

A: "In Victor Hugo's 'Les Misérables', the poor live in a constant state of wretchedness and despair."

A: Wretchedness is like slowness. You don't feel slowness or wretchedness. Those aren't feelings. For example:

- I have had periods of wretchedness in my life that I have kept hidden from the outside world.
- The wretchedness and poverty they encountered made a deep impression.

And wretched is like slow. For example:

- You look wretched—what's wrong?
- I felt wretched about the way things had turned out.
- She looked thoroughly wretched.
- She had a wretched (awful) time of it at school.
- The animals are kept in the most wretched (awful) conditions.
- She finally agreed to have the wretched (pitiful) animal put down.
- Is it that wretched (very annoying) woman again?