schadenfreude
noun
satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
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schadenfreude
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Schadenfreude
Schadenfreudenoundelight in another's misfortune
schadenfreude
American
[shahd-n-froi-duh]
/ ˈʃɑd nˌfrɔɪ də /
noun
Schadenfreude
British
/ ˈʃaːdənfrɔydə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of schadenfreude
1890–95; < German, equivalent to Schaden harm + Freude joy
Explanation
When another person's bad luck secretly makes you feel good, that's schadenfreude. Your brother's rejection from a college that also rejected you might give you a twinge of schadenfreude. If you're fired from your difficult job, no one can blame you for a bit of schadenfreude as you watch your replacement struggle with your old tasks. This German word perfectly captures that satisfied feeling everyone gets at times when someone else runs into misfortune. In German, Schadenfreude literally means "damage-joy," and it's always spelled with a capital S. The word came into English use in the 1920s, and you can spell it with a small s if you prefer.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As soon as enough votes were counted to officially knock Tom Steyer out of the California governor’s race, the anti-billionaire schadenfreude kicked in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
For those seeking schadenfreude, look no further than the immense coach doors, opening to the front and hinged at the rear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
From late-night talk shows to the halls of power, there was more than a bit of celebration, and some actually reasonable schadenfreude.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
If the world was looking to extend its schadenfreude, Paltrow was all too happy to be the one to push it further.
From Salon ● Dec. 22, 2025
For all that there was just that touch of schadenfreude in his tone that promised that he for one would do his best to bear up if it wasn't.
From A Crooked Mile by Oliver [pseud.] Onions
Schadenfreude was the community’s way to vent tension.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
The allies may come to regret their short-term Schadenfreude about Mr. Trump’s Hormuz predicament.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
Schadenfreude would sustain a show for only so long.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2023
Live TV offers myriad opportunities to say something foolish, which, you can be sure, will be remembered and replayed by the Schadenfreude crowd.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2022
"I can easily believe you don't approve it," she said with a gleam of Schadenfreude.
From The Messenger by Elizabeth Robins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
