schadenfreude

noun

scha·den·freu·de ˈshä-dᵊn-ˌfrȯi-də

often capitalized

: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The property is known for both its pricey residences and for being a (literally) sinking edifice, a source of schadenfreude in a city shaped by wealth inequality. —

Kylie Robison, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2023 Why the rainbow cake ignited a fury There's an aspect of schadenfreude to the #CakeGate drama: People on the internet find joy in watching a person fall from grace in real-time, even if the punishment (hate from thousands of people) doesn't fit the crime (making a cake the public has deemed ugly). —

Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2023 There was indeed more than a good chunk of of schadenfreude roiling around Chavez Ravine on Wednesday afternoon when Scherzer, now pitching for the New York Mets, was thrown out of the game in the middle of the fourth inning for possessing a foreign substance on his right pitching hand. —

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2023 Everyone noticed, and while the Swiss are known for their neutrality, wouldn’t surprise me if there'd been some schadenfreude in Switzerland. —

Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Mar. 2023 There’s a bit of déjà vu and hopefully not too much schadenfreude going on here. —

Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 But any initial schadenfreude at this point has dissolved into exasperation — and for a number of members, also concern, as the failure to elect a speaker means the entire legislative branch is stuck in limbo, with none of the members officially sworn in. —

Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2023 American schadenfreude was muted, also, by public sympathy with the people of Iran—which translated into sympathy for the Iranian players. —

Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2022 Some of his friends think that part of the schadenfreude aimed at Mr. Murphy stems from a lingering bias in Hollywood about gay men getting very powerful. —

Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2022 See More

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.