Word of the Day:

February 5, 2022

schadenfreude

noun SHAH-dun-froy-duh

What it Means

Schadenfreude is the enjoyment obtained from the troubles of other people.

// Schadenfreude was felt by many viewers when the arrogant contestant was voted off the show.

Schadenfreude in Context

"A glaring subplot in all this is that Jim Harbaugh has never beaten Ohio State in five tries as the Michigan coach, a continuous source of frustration among Wolverines fans and gleeful schadenfreude in Columbus." — Mitch Stacy,The Associated Press, 21 Nov. 2021

More example sentences

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.

Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete a word for an act of rejoicing: j _ _ il _ _ _ on.

View the Answer