Word
schadenfreude
Meanings
pleasure or satisfaction felt when someone else experiences misfortune, failure, or embarrassment
Definition
Schadenfreude is pleasure you feel when someone else has a problem or fails.
Schadenfreude means enjoying another person’s misfortune, failure, or embarrassment. It often happens when you feel the other person deserved it or when you compare yourself to them. People may feel it secretly because it can seem unkind. The word is often used to describe a guilty, uncomfortable kind of amusement.
Examples
- I hate to admit it, but I felt schadenfreude when he bragged all week and then lost the game.
- Her schadenfreude showed when she smiled at his mistake during the presentation.
- The movie is a comedy built on schadenfreude and awkward accidents.
- He tried to hide his schadenfreude when his rival’s plan failed.
- Social media can encourage schadenfreude when celebrities get criticized for small errors.