The joy, existential validation, and downright delicious pleasure received by watching, reading of, hearing of, or even, occasionally, causing an enemy's downfall. And by enemies, I mean also friends.
Ever since November 8, I have been watching election night coverage on CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and The Young Turks just for the orgasmic Schadenfreude of it. Yum!
by Trouble Clef March 26, 2017
shrink to a patient:
-what did you feel when you found out that your successful brother had lost all his money in the stock market?
patient:
-schadenfreude
-what did you feel when you found out that your successful brother had lost all his money in the stock market?
patient:
-schadenfreude
by ana von hindenburg February 7, 2011
by bobx-- December 9, 2008
In the behavioural sciences, Schadenfreude is the term for a euphoric affective state experienced in response to visual and auditory stimuli communicating others experiencing pain or suffering. The euphoric effect has been observed to be significantly elevated in females, primarily of Western origin, when the suffering is observed in males known to the test subject, with a strong correlation between the level of prior intimacy and intensity of the euphoria. Of particular note is the extreme degree to which other faculties may be impaired as the intensity of the euphoric state increases in the observer, in correlation to the increased suffering of the observed.
"In my decades long career I've never witnessed the brain's pleasure centre light up as much as it has in the divorced couple Schadenfreude cases. The most remarkable example was when a caucasian, middle class, suburban female heard her ex-husband had fallen off a roof and shattered his spine. She only heard an aural account and apparently didn't even need to witness it. The intensity of brain activity doubled when she was told he may never walk again. When she heard his children were watching and heard an account of the total humiliation he felt as they witnessed the moment of his downfall, we had to stop the experiment out of concern her brain may overheat. The fact that they were also her children witnessing a traumatic event appeared to have no attenuating effect on her response, if anything it increased."
by MalcolmTent0 April 11, 2018
German for "happiness at the misfortune of others"
Clapping when a waitress falls and drops a tray of glasses
Watching figure skaters falling on their asses
Watching people out in the rain
Watching a vegetarian being told she just ate chicken
Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his dick in
Being on an elevator when somebody shouts "Hold the door!"
Straight A students getting Bs
Exes getting STDs
Waking doormen from their naps
Watching tourists reading maps
Football players getting tackled
CEOs getting shackled
Watching actors never reach the ending of their Oscar speech
Clapping when a waitress falls and drops a tray of glasses
Watching figure skaters falling on their asses
Watching people out in the rain
Watching a vegetarian being told she just ate chicken
Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his dick in
Being on an elevator when somebody shouts "Hold the door!"
Straight A students getting Bs
Exes getting STDs
Waking doormen from their naps
Watching tourists reading maps
Football players getting tackled
CEOs getting shackled
Watching actors never reach the ending of their Oscar speech
by Janet Weiss July 30, 2005
Remember the enormous pleasure you got watching dad get kicked in the nuts on AFHV in the 80s, or ogling any fat asshole in the world dancing in bikini briefs or redneck on a crotch rocket who smashes his face in on the old log next to the "swimmin' hole" near his dilapidated shack on YouTube? That's schadenfreude... It's what makes you human... Or a very bad person.
by Vice Morris July 29, 2009
it's that good feeling when you see your enemy fall down the stairs and be crippled forever knowing that you put the marbles and that he knows but there's no evidence and after that he just dies with still no evidence of you being there
by fake name#0000000000000000 July 5, 2023