schadenfreude
Say it: SHAH-den-froy-duh /ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/ · noun
What “schadenfreude” means
Feeling pleased when something bad happens to someone else.
More precisely: Pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
Example: “I felt a flash of schadenfreude when the office show-off fell off his electric scooter.”
When to use it
For that small, guilty pleasure when a show-off or rival gets what's coming to them.
Memory trick
German: “Schaden” is harm, “Freude” is joy. Joy at someone's harm.
Similar words
gloating, malicious joy
Where it comes from
German Schaden 'harm' and Freude 'joy'.
Quick check
Your know-it-all colleague confidently gives the wrong answer in front of the boss, and you secretly enjoy it. That feeling is…
schadenfreude or empathy?
Show the answer
schadenfreude
Learn 5 new words a day in Kinquire. Each with a picture, how to say it, an example and a quick check, then spaced review so you actually keep them. Free to start.
Learn “schadenfreude”