Schadenfreude
noun /ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/ — The guilty pleasure of someone else's misfortune.
Definition
Pleasure derived from another person's misfortune; the enjoyment that comes from someone else's bad luck.
Beyond the definition
The word we needed to admit a feeling we'd prefer not to have. Schadenfreude is universal, mildly shameful, and deeply human. Naming it makes it easier to observe in yourself without judgment.
Origin & history
From German Schaden 'damage, harm' + Freude 'joy.' The joy of harm — someone else's harm.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She'd be the last to admit the schadenfreude she felt when his pitch failed.
Watching reality TV is really just licensed schadenfreude.
The schadenfreude was real, and she didn't feel great about that.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Schadenfreude” when the meaning fits your context: Pleasure derived from another person's misfortune; the enjoyment that comes from someone else's bad luck.
Synonyms
malicious enjoyment, gloating, taking pleasure in others' pain
Antonyms
sympathy, compassion, empathy
Related words
Schadenfreude vs envy
Envy is painful — it's the discomfort of wanting what someone else has. Schadenfreude is the pleasurable flip side: enjoyment at someone else's misfortune, especially when that person seemed to be doing better than you. Envy says 'I want that'; schadenfreude says 'I'm glad they lost it.' The two can coexist: the person you envied most is the person whose downfall delights you most. Both are about the gap between your situation and theirs.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
There is a study in which researchers asked participants to watch a video of an unlikeable person experiencing a small setback — spilling their drink, tripping on a step. The brain scans showed activity in the reward centres.
The participants, when told this, were uniformly mortified. They had not been aware of finding it rewarding. They did not consider themselves cruel people.
The German language, with characteristic precision, had simply named what the brain had been quietly doing for as long as brains have been comparing themselves to other brains. Naming it doesn't make it pretty. It does make it easier to examine.
Questions about this word
What does "Schadenfreude" mean?
Schadenfreude is noun meaning: The guilty pleasure of someone else's misfortune.. Pleasure derived from another person's misfortune; the enjoyment that comes from someone else's bad luck.
Which words express “secret pleasure at someone else's misfortune”?
Schadenfreude — The guilty pleasure of someone else's misfortune.
Where does the word "Schadenfreude" come from?
From German Schaden 'damage, harm' + Freude 'joy.' The joy of harm — someone else's harm.