Word meaning
schadenfreude
noun · SHAH-den-froy-duh
What does schadenfreude mean?
Schadenfreude means pleasure derived from another person's misfortune.
Schadenfreude in a sentence
“I felt a twinge of schadenfreude when the show-off slipped on the ice.”
Synonyms for schadenfreude
- gloating
- malicious joy
- smugness
Where does schadenfreude come from?
From German Schaden, "harm," and Freude, "joy."
How to remember schadenfreude
- Say it out loud a few times: SHAH-den-froy-duh.
- Write one sentence of your own using schadenfreude, about something that happened to you today.
- Quiz yourself tomorrow, in three days, and next week. Spaced reviews are what make new words stick.
More words worth knowing
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- ominous — giving the impression that something bad is about to happen.
- whimsical — playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing way.
- insidious — proceeding in a gradual, subtle way but with harmful effects.