schadenfreude

noun

scha·​den·​freu·​de ˈshä-dᵊn-ˌfrȯi-də How to pronounce schadenfreude (audio)
often capitalized
: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

Did you know?

Schadenfreude is a combination of the German nouns Schaden, meaning "damage" or "harm," and Freude, meaning "joy." So it makes sense that schadenfreude means joy over some harm or misfortune suffered by another.

Examples of schadenfreude in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This movie is why the Germans invented the word schadenfreude. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the abandonment, if confirmed, will breed plenty of schadenfreude: billions spent with little to show, all the while pivoting to a different breed of Silicon Valley hype. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024 There are already three reviews describing the book as boring, which gives her the weak person’s thrill of schadenfreude. Hazlitt, 7 Feb. 2024 For San Diego’s schadenfreude crowd that enjoys seeing the Chargers lose, the good times may be less plentiful. San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2024 But in the United Kingdom, where Eton serves as the ultimate symbol of the elite — Princes William and Harry studied there, as well as Boris Johnson, David Cameron and many other prime ministers, and pupils wear tailcoats — the situation was greeted with puns and a heavy dose of schadenfreude. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024 And the chairman of Toyota, which has opted for plug-in hybrids over all-electrics, is grinning with schadenfreude. Will Johnson, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2024 But there’s also a strong current of schadenfreude and emotional masochism involved in watching The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, especially coming on the heels of like-minded docs and series. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2024 As San Diego’s schadenfreude crowd would appreciate, Quinn knows something about Chargering. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'schadenfreude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of schadenfreude was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Schadenfreude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schadenfreude. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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