English vocabulary · C1
Schadenfreude
/ˈʃɑːdənˌfrɔɪdə/ · n.
It means feeling happy when something bad happens to someone else.
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Example sentences
- She smiled with schadenfreude watching her rival trip.
- He felt schadenfreude when the bully got caught.
Word origin and roots
from German
- schaden — harm (from German)
- freude — joy (from German)
Synonyms and nuances
- glee (feeling open joy at someone's trouble)
- delight (enjoyment comes from watching others fail)
- pleasure (satisfaction comes at someone else's expense)
Lesson notes
Schadenfreude. It means feeling happy when something bad happens to someone else. You did not cause it. You just enjoy their failure.
Similar words are glee, delight, and pleasure. Use schadenfreude when the joy comes from watching someone else fail.
She smiled with schadenfreude watching her rival trip. He felt schadenfreude when the bully got caught.
Schaden means harm. Freude means joy. Feeling joy from someone else's harm — that's schadenfreude.