schadenfreude

noun

scha·​den·​freu·​de ˈshä-dᵊn-ˌfrȯi-də 

variants often Schadenfreude

: enjoyment obtained from seeing or hearing about the troubles of others

delicious/gleeful schadenfreude

His arrest … brought out ugly schadenfreude on social media from those who view the incident in which no one was hurt as some sort of … karmic retribution.

—Lisa Respers France

Did you know?

Ever a popular lookup on our site, schadenfreude refers to the joy you might feel at another person’s pain. It’s a compound of the German nouns Schaden, meaning “damage,” and Freude, meaning “joy.” Schadenfreude was a favored subject in Germany by the time it was introduced to English in the mid-1800s; discussed by the likes of Schopenhauer, Kant, and Nietzsche, schadenfreude was showing up in psychology books, literature for children, and critical theory. In English, the word was used mostly by academics until the early 1990s, when it was introduced to more general audiences via pop culture. In a 1991 episode of The Simpsons, for example, Lisa explains schadenfreude to Homer, who is gloating at his neighbor’s failure; she also tells him that the opposite of schadenfreude is sour grapes. “Boy,” he marvels, “those Germans have a word for everything.”

Examples of schadenfreude in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the cameras zoom in on a fuming Jerry Jones and the guys in the booth note that the title drought is now in its 30th year, many of us at home will indulge in a little taste of schadenfreude. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Hansen has maintained that his journalistic objective was to try to interview the men in order to understand their motives, but there was an undeniable, if also dark, schadenfreude in watching the titular predators be exposed to millions. — David MacK, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

One is straightforward schadenfreude, the human instinct to ensure those who get a little big for their boots are knocked down a peg or two. — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Predictably, this set off a furious round of acrimonious criticism, know-it-all navel-gazing, and schadenfreude. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

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