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Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

8 9.9
A feeling of happiness when someone else has bad luck or fails
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɑːdənˌfrɔɪdə/
translation icon : Schadenfreude
  • But they feel schadenfreude the most when they see someone experience a misfortune who's similar to themselves.

I always get my schadenfreude when I watch him fail.

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Examples

  • Many people experience schadenfreude when their rivals fail.

  • I came out of it laughing and ODing on schadenfreude thanks to MSNBC (especially Chris Matthews' epic meltdown).

    Blog text (7)
  • Now I know what schadenfreude feels like.

  • But what a wonderful day of schadenfreude for me and others.

    Blog text (32)
  • I always get my schadenfreude when I watch him fail.

  • Not to mention the schadenfreude of watching an arrogant person destroy himself.

    Blog text (26)
  • Witnessing this calamity was one of the happiest moments of my life: an incomparably sweet instance of Schadenfreude.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Watching her opponent struggle brought him a sense of schadenfreude.

  • He felt a wave of schadenfreude as he witnessed his colleague's embarrassing mistake.

Synonyms

glee
vsSchadenfreude
8 4.4

A feeling of pleasure at another person's misfortune

is specifically pleasure because of another's misfortune rather than general joy
gloating
vsSchadenfreude
1 7.7

A feeling of pleasure at someone else's bad luck

is a private pleasure felt from another's pain rather than an open expression

Antonyms

423 2.7

A strong feeling of care for someone who is suffering and a wish to help them

154 3.2

Ability to understand and share another person's feelings and experiences

How Pleased

gloating
1 7.7
Schadenfreude
8 9.9
satisfaction
192 2.2
amusement
65 1.2

Surface Forms

Schadenfreude singular

Etymology

The word Schadenfreude comes from German words Schaden 'damage' and Freude 'joy'. It literally means 'joy at damage', so it describes the pleasure you feel at someone else's bad luck.