Everyday · Borrowed words · Emotions
Schadenfreude: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Schadenfreude noun. Pleasure taken in someone else's bad luck.
How to say it
SHAH-dun-froy-duh/ˈʃɑːd(ə)nˌfrɔɪdə/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (SHAH).
Schadenfreude in a sentence
There was a flicker of schadenfreude when the show-off's sports car got a parking ticket.
Rival fans feel pure schadenfreude whenever we lose at home.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- gloating
- malicious pleasure
- smugness
Opposite:
- sympathy
- compassion
Where schadenfreude comes from
German, from Schaden, harm, and Freude, joy.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Rival fans feel pure _____ whenever we lose at home.
- gemütlichkeit
- tsundoku
- schadenfreude
Show the answer
schadenfreude: Rival fans feel pure schadenfreude whenever we lose at home.