schadenfreude
/ˈʃɑːdənˌfrɔɪdə/
pleasure derived from another's misfortune
schadenfreude in a sentence
“He felt a twinge of schadenfreude when his rival failed.”
Origin of schadenfreude
German Schaden damage, harm + Freude joy
What does schadenfreude really mean?
Schadenfreude is the guilty pleasure of watching someone else stumble — sharper when the someone is a rival, smug, or previously untouchable. English never developed its own word for this feeling, which is precisely why the German import stuck: it names something everyone recognizes and few admit.
The story behind schadenfreude
German, from Schaden (harm, damage) and Freude (joy). English borrowed it in the mid-19th century. Psychologists have since mapped its triggers — envy, rivalry, and a sense of deserved comeuppance — and brain-imaging studies show reward circuitry activating when an envied person fails.
How to use schadenfreude
Use it with a knowing, slightly ironic register: "a wave of schadenfreude swept Twitter when the startup imploded." It works best for collective or observed glee, not personal cruelty — the word names the feeling, not an action.
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