schadenfreude
pronunciation
How to pronounce schadenfreude in British English:
UK ['ʃɑ:dnfrɔɪdə]
How to pronounce schadenfreude in American English:
US ['ʃɑdnfrɔɪdə]
-
- Noun:
- delight in another person's misfortune
Word Origin
- schadenfreude (n.)
- "malicious joy in the misfortunes of others," 1922, German Schadenfreude, literally "damage-joy," from schaden "damage, harm, injury" (see scathe) + freude, from Old High German frewida "joy," from fro "happy," literally "hopping for joy," from Proto-Germanic *frawa- (see frolic).What a fearful thing is it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing. And yet in more than one such a word is found. ... In the Greek epikhairekakia, in the German, 'Schadenfreude.' [Richard C. Trench, "On the Study of Words," 1852]
Example
- 1. Schadenfreude is unbecoming and not just because of altruism .
- 2. These travails have drawn some schadenfreude .
- 3. Yet this is no time for schadenfreude .
- 4. But no schadenfreude exists in japan .
- 5. But this week 's hammer-blow will unleash waves of schadenfreude .