noun

schadenfreude

SHAH-duhn-froy-duh

Schadenfreude (noun) means the pleasure a person takes in someone else's misfortune. Example: “There was open schadenfreude in the newsroom when the rival paper folded.”

noun

The pleasure a person takes in someone else's misfortune.

"There was open schadenfreude in the newsroom when the rival paper folded."

"I felt a flicker of schadenfreude watching him fail his driving test after all that boasting."

How to Use Schadenfreude

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEnjoying it when something bad happens to someone else.

When to use it

Neutral to slightly literary; widely understood in English writing.

Memory tip

It is uncountable: say "felt some schadenfreude", not "felt a schadenfreude".

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

gloating → spite → mudita

Common pairings

a twinge of schadenfreude pure schadenfreude indulge in schadenfreude

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “schadenfreude” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

There was open _____ in the newsroom when the rival paper folded.

Etymology

From German Schaden "harm, damage" and Freude "joy".

Origin: German

Synonyms

View more →

gloating malicious glee

Antonyms

compassion sympathy empathy

Related Words

agreement understanding humanity mercy ruth pity kindness sympathy

Rhymes for schadenfreude

nude rude dude Jude crude prude exude elude Maude Laude delude Claude

See all rhymes for 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.

People Also Searched

agreement understanding humanity mercy ruth pity kindness sympathy