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is a German word meaning "pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune." It is sometimes used as a loanword in English and other languages. The German pronunciation of the word is (IPA).
It derives from Schaden (damage, harm) and Freude (joy); Schaden derives from the Middle High German schade, from the Old High German scado, and freude comes from the Middle High German vreude, from the Old High German frewida, from frō, happy). In German, the word always carries a negative connotation. A distinction exists between "secret schadenfreude" (a private feeling) and "open schadenfreude" (Hohn).
Usually, it is believed that Schadenfreude has no direct English equivalent. For example, Harper Collins German-English Dictionary translates schadenfreude as "malicious glee or gloating." An apparent English equivalent is epicaricacy, derived from the Greek word επιχαιρεκακία, epichaerecacia. This word does not appear in most modern dictionaries, but does appear in Nathaniel Bailey's Universal Etymological English Dictionary (1727) under a slightly different spelling (epicharikaky), which gives its etymology as a compound of epi (upon), chara (joy), and kakon (evil).
In English, the word sometimes is capitalized, because of the German grammatical convention of capitalizing all common nouns in addition to proper nouns; however, as a loanword in English, it usually follows English grammar and is not capitalized.
In Buddhism, the concept of mudita, "sympathetic joy" or "happiness in another's good fortune," is often explained as "the opposite of schadenfreude."
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Expressions and the term in other languages
Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude (denn sie kommt von Herzen): "Schadenfreude is the most superb kind of joy (since it comes directly from the heart)." (proverb)
Neid zu fühlen ist menschlich, Schadenfreude zu genießen teuflisch: "To feel envy is human, to enjoy schadenfreude is devilish." (Arthur Schopenhauer)
Das Wort Schadenfreude kennt man nur im Deutschen: "The word schadenfreude is known only in German." (unknown author)
Dutch:Geen schoner vermaak dan leedvermaak: No better joy than joy about someone else's sorrow. (proverb)
Similar terms in other languages:
Arabic: shamaatah (shamtan, taking pleasure in the misfortune of others)
Czech: škodolibost (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, libost, pleasure)
Dutch: leedvermaak (leed, suffering or sorrow, and vermaak, entertainment)
Estonian: kahjurõõm (kahju, damage or harm and rõõm, joy)
Finnish: vahingonilo (vahinko, accident or damage, ilo, joy or happiness)
Hebrew: שמחה) שמחה לאיד, joy, איד, misfortune) (sh·m·chh l·yd)
Hungarian: káröröm (kár, loss or damage, öröm, joy)
Lithuanian: piktdžiuga (piktas angry, džiaugsmas joy)
Russian: злорадство (зло, evil or harm, радость, joy)
Scots Gaelic: aighear-truaighe (aighear, delight or joy, truaighe, misery or wretchedness)
Slovak: škodoradosť (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, radosť, joy)
Slovenian: škodoželjnost (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, želeti, to wish)
Swedish: skadeglädje (skada, damage, glädje, joy or happiness)
In Swedish and Norwegian, there also the saying: skadeglädjen/fryd är den enda sanna glädjen/fryd ("schadenfreude is the only true joy"). A Finnish variant is: vahingonilo on aidointa iloa, sillä siihen ei sisälly tippaakaan kateutta ("schadenfreude is the purest joy, since it doesn't include a bit of envy"). A Slovak variant is: škodoradosť je najväčšia radosť ("schadenfreude is the greatest joy"), similar in meaning to the Hungarian variant: legszebb öröm a káröröm, and the Estonian: kahjurõõm on kõige suurem rõõm. In Hebrew the saying is: 'אין שמחה כשמחה לאיד' ("There is no joy like schadenfreude"). In Danish, the saying is: Egen lykke er at foretrække men andres ulykke er dog ikke at foragte, and translates to "(One's) own happiness should be preferred, but the misfortune of others should not be scorned." In Dutch the saying is: Er is geen beter vermaak dan leedvermaak ("There's no greater joy than schadenfreude").
In Thai, the phrase สมน้ำหน้า, som nam na, can be interpreted as: "You got what you deserved"; "Serves you right"; or "I'm laughing at your bad luck".
In Korean, the phrase 고소하다, go so ha da, literally translated means "to smell sesame oil", because in Korea the smell of sesame oil is regarded as very pleasant, this phrase also is used when one is pleased about a particular event. It is especially used when one is pleased about an event involving the misfortune of another.
In Chinese, the phrase 幸灾乐祸 () is an old idiom that directly translates to "enjoying (other's) calamity (and) laughing at (other's) misfortune".
In Japanese, the phrase 他人の不幸は蜜の味, tanin no fukou wa mitsu no aji, translates literally as "others' misfortunes taste of honey".
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In popular culture
"Schadenfreude" is the title of a song in the 2004 Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, sung by characters Gary Coleman and Nicky. The song features the line: "Happiness at the misfortune of others? That is German!"' Schadenfreude is described as both: "Happiness at the misfortune of others" and "People taking pleasure in your pain".
"Schadenfreude" is the title of a Boston Legal episode wherein character Alan Shore (James Spader) uses the term in explaining why some defendants are convicted of an unrelated crime after having engaged in culturally unacceptable or possibly illegal activities.
Schadenfreude is referred to in The West Wing by White House Press Secretary C. J. Cregg (Allison Janney). Cregg notes that after an important member of the White House staff, and a friend of hers, made a big political mistake, Washington insiders will be enjoying schadenfreude. When an assistant asks the definition of the word, Cregg responds "Schadenfreude: taking joy in the suffering of others. You know, the whole rationale behind the House of Representatives."
Schadenfreude also is referred to in the Simpsons episode "When Flanders Failed." Lisa accuses Homer of feeling schadenfreude when Homer gloats about Ned Flanders being on the verge of bankruptcy. Lisa asks Homer, "Dad, do you know what Schadenfreude is?", to which Homer replies in a sarcastic tone, "No, I do not know what Schadenfreude is. Please tell me because I'm dying to know." Lisa then explains "It's a German word for shameful joy, taking pleasure in the suffering of others." Homer responds with "Oh, come on, Lisa. I'm just glad to see him fall flat on his butt! He's usually all happy and comfortable, and surrounded by loved ones, and it makes me feel...what's the opposite of that shameful joy thing of yours?" "Sour grapes." "Boy, those Germans have a word for everything".
Schadenfreude is referred to in Cantor's Dilemma (ISBN 0140143599), a 1991 novel by Carl Djerassi, inventor of the birth control pill. The protagonist, Professor I. C. Cantor, has a lengthy discussion with his romantic interest, Ms. Paula Curry, about the word in the context of the joy that competing scientists feel when the other has been publicly discredited. The novel is intended as a semi-realistic account of the politics and ethics behind major scientific discoveries.
Ben Affleck cited schadenfreude as a contributing factor for the scathing critical response to the film Gigli, in which he starred alongside then-fiancée Jennifer Lopez.
In the TV show Two and a Half Men epsiode "Bad News From the Clinic", Rose refers to her feelings of Schadenfreude and later tries to invent a word - Glauckenstück - to mean "feeling deep remorse for having felt Schadenfreude."
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See also
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Notes
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