Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
gloating

gloating

1 7.7
A feeling of pleasure at someone else's bad luck
  • noun
  • /ˈɡloʊtɪŋ/
translation icon : satisfacción maliciosa
  • Gloating over others' mistakes can damage your friendships.

When people were, I wouldn't say gloating, but there was, you know, some people felt really positive about this, this blue wave, let's call it a wave.

Examples

  • -Gloating, are we?

    How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

  • Gloating, he hauls on the rope.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Gloating is really bad manners, and when you tell absurd lies on top of it, it is totally disgusting.

    Blog text (3)

  • Gloating is underrated.

    Disclosure (1994)

  • Her gloating after winning the game made her friends uncomfortable.

  • He couldn't hide his gloating when he learned of his rival's failure.

Synonyms

Schadenfreude
vsgloating
8 9.9

A feeling of happiness when someone else has bad luck or fails

focuses on the malicious satisfaction side rather than neutral pleasure
glee
vsgloating
8 4.4

A feeling of pleasure at another person's misfortune

is specifically malicious satisfaction rather than general strong delight

Antonyms

compassion
423 2.7

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

empathy
154 3.2

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

How Smug

gloating
1 7.7
smugness
9 5.7

Surface Forms

gloating singular
gloatings plural

Morphology

gloating = gloat (transparent) = gloat + ing

A straightforward nominalization/gerund formed from the verb 'gloat'; the noun denotes the act or state of gloating.

Etymology

Gloating comes from the old verb gloat, which meant 'to look' or 'stare' with pleasure; people used it for a proud, pleased look. So gloating today means feeling or showing proud pleasure at someone else's bad luck.