schadenfreude
noun
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Schadenfreude is a combination of the German nouns Schaden, meaning "damage" or "harm," and Freude, meaning "joy." So it makes sense that schadenfreude means joy over some harm or misfortune suffered by another.
Examples of schadenfreude in a Sentence
Ollie Barder, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024
Rutter’s fanbase, like most TikTokers’, includes people who watch her with some level of either schadenfreude or not-exactly-kind voyeurism.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 20 Oct. 2021
In a way, Trump’s online fumble was a sort of karmic retribution for his campaign’s schadenfreude over a similar conversation that was meant to launch former rival Ron DeSantis’ own bid.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024
Tesla famously sells directly to customers and doesn’t use car dealers, so a bit of dealer group schadenfreude can be expected.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for schadenfreude 
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Schadenfreude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schadenfreude. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.
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