schadenfreude
2 synonyms and 3 antonyms for schadenfreude, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The pleasure a person takes in someone else's misfortune.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
gloating
malicious glee
Antonyms
How to use schadenfreude
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a twinge of schadenfreude
pure schadenfreude
indulge in schadenfreude
Neutral to slightly literary; widely understood in English writing.
Etymology
From German Schaden "harm, damage" and Freude "joy".
Full origin of schadenfreude →Frequently asked questions
What is the opposite of schadenfreude?
The usual answer is the Buddhist term mudita, meaning joy at another person's happiness. English has no everyday single word for it, though compassion and sympathy cover the response to another's suffering.
Is schadenfreude capitalised in English?
No. All German nouns are capitalised in German, but words borrowed into English lose that, so write schadenfreude in lower case unless it starts a sentence.
