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• schadenfreude
  schadenfreude

  noun

  satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
• Schadenfreude
  Schadenfreude

  noun

  delight in another's misfortune

schadenfreude

American  

[shahd-n-froi-duh] / ˈʃɑd nˌfrɔɪ də /

noun

1. satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

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Schadenfreude British  

/ ˈʃaːdənfrɔydə /

noun

1. delight in another's misfortune

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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

Europe in particular may regret its short-term Schadenfreude.

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

Call today’s diagram a little bit of grandmasterly Schadenfreude.

From Washington Times • Jun. 14, 2022

He laughed aloud when the door closed, for the spirit of what the Germans call Schadenfreude was never far from his elbow, and he rejoiced in the parson's discomfiture.

From Malcolm by MacDonald, George