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.”

The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer mentioned schadenfreude as the most evil sin of human feeling, famously saying "To feel envy is human, to savor schadenfreude is diabolic."

schadenfreude, the emotional experience of pleasure in response to another’s misfortune. Schadenfreude is a German word that combines Schaden, which means “damage,” and Freude, …

SCHADENFREUDE definition: satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. See examples of schadenfreude used in a sentence.

Schadenfreude definition: 1. a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction when something bad happens to someone else 2. a feeling of…. Learn more.

Feb 13, 2026 · In everyday English, Schadenfreude means taking pleasure in another person’s trouble, failure, embarrassment, or downfall. Example sentences: Fans felt Schadenfreude when their rival …

Dec 3, 2025 · Schadenfreude refers to “the feeling of joy you get when witnessing someone else’s harm.” Don’t confuse this feeling with malice or hatred, because there’s no evil or anger behind this …