schadenfreude

noun

scha·den·freu·de ˈshä-dᵊn-ˌfrȯi-də

often capitalized

: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In the West, leaders and analysts watched the crisis with a mixture of schadenfreude and amazement. —

Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 25 June 2023 That’s the feeling in Silicon Valley, along with some schadenfreude and a pinch of paranoia. —

Erin Griffith, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2023 But news of the metaverse's struggles is inspiring some schadenfreude — including from Elon Musk, who has some problems of his own. —

Joel Mathis, The Week, 3 Apr. 2023 Whatever the reason may be, a great comfort can be derived from adopting the passive position, allowing others to dominate the conversation, if only because of the supplemental schadenfreude that comes with learning that everyone’s drawing the short stick of life in some capacity. —

Joseph Lezza, Longreads, 30 Mar. 2023 Blaming Brexit The shortages in Britain – and contrasting pictures of full vegetable shelves in supermarkets in mainland Europe – led to a degree of Brexit schadenfreude in some EU news outlets. —

Sylvia Hui, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Mar. 2023 Not quite the same thing, though the dramaturgical objectives are similar: An incident involving a grotesque faux pas is used as the trigger for an explosion of resentment, schadenfreude and indignation among a group of characters who thrive on all of it. —

John Anderson, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2023 There's an aspect of schadenfreude, too: People on the internet find joy in watching a person fall from grace in real-time, even if the punishment (hate from thousands of people) doesn't fit the crime (making a cake the public has deemed ugly or overcharging for a tattoo design). —

Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 6 June 2023 The property is known for both its pricey residences and for being a (literally) sinking edifice, a source of schadenfreude in a city shaped by wealth inequality. —

Kylie Robison, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2023 See More

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.