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 Reactions range across schadenfreude, anticipation of what will happen to Pocket Pair in the future or pure malice. Ollie Barder, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024 Rutter’s fanbase, like most TikTokers’, includes people who watch her with some level of either schadenfreude or not-exactly-kind voyeurism. Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 20 Oct. 2021 In a way, Trump’s online fumble was a sort of karmic retribution for his campaign’s schadenfreude over a similar conversation that was meant to launch former rival Ron DeSantis’ own bid. Philip Elliott, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024 Tesla famously sells directly to customers and doesn’t use car dealers, so a bit of dealer group schadenfreude can be expected. Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for schadenfreude 

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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Dictionary Entries Near schadenfreude

Cite this Entry

“Schadenfreude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schadenfreude. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

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