Schadenfreunde

A portmanteau of "Schadenfreude" (joy from others' misfortune) and "Freunde" (friends). It refers to friends who bond primarily over shared misery, mutual venting, and navigating life's minor disasters together.
Unlike toxic "frenemies," Schadenfreunde don't actually want you to fail; they just find profound comfort, solidarity, and dark humor in surviving the chaos of life alongside you. They are the people you text exclusively when everything goes wrong, because they will happily sit in the trenches and laugh about how ridiculous it all is with you.

My car got towed, my heating broke, and I accidentally shrunk my favorite sweater, so I immediately called my schadenfreunde to order takeout and complain for three hours.

Schadenfreunde by MWCH July 17, 2026

Schadenfreunde

A portmanteau of "Schadenfreude" (joy from others' misfortune) and "Freunde" (friends). It refers to friends who bond primarily over shared misery, mutual venting, and navigating life's minor disasters together.

Unlike toxic "frenemies," Schadenfreunde don't actually want you to fail; they just find profound comfort, solidarity, and dark humor in surviving the chaos of life alongside you. They are the people you text exclusively when everything goes wrong, because they will happily sit in the trenches and laugh about how ridiculous it all is with you.

My car got towed, my heating broke, and I accidentally shrunk my favorite sweater, so I immediately called my schadenfreunde to order takeout and complain for three hours.

Schadenfreunde by MWCH July 17, 2026

schadenfreude 

German word, original translation loosely comes out as 'malicious joy'. In English, it's thought of 'malicious enjoyment from the suffering of another'. As there is no succinct English version of the word, English-speaking peoples have approximated this word and use it whenever they see people like corrupt CEOs get dragged off to jail.

Did you see that look on Fastow's face as he was told he couldn't take soap-on-a-rope to the lockup? Man, I felt a warm, comforting sense of schadenfreude in my gut when I saw it...

schadenfreude by Paul Wartenberg May 18, 2003

Schadenfreudenia 

any country or disrespectful society where neither social nor economic unity has been established

the national motto of Schadenfreudenia is;

"whatever"

Schadenfreudenia by kelamist June 10, 2018

Schadenfreudegasm 

(n): the climactic pleasure one feels while seeing something terrible happen to another human being. A portmanteu of schadenfreude and orgasm. Particularly exemplified over reviled celebrities.

When LeBron James and the Miami Heat lost the 2011 NBA finals, all of Cleveland reached a schadenfreudegasm.

Schadenfreudegasm by Cassiyus December 12, 2011

schadenfreude 

pleasure derived from others' troubles.

although "schadenfreude" seems widely known I've never heard it being used in casual conversation.

Probably it's more the problem of not knowing how to pronounce it. I've heard "skäidenfruhd," for instance :)

schadenfreude by lingualtreasure June 3, 2009

Schadenfreude 

Watching a vegetarian being told she just ate chicken

Or watching a frat boy realize just what he put his dick in

Being on the 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!

"Fuck you lady, that's what stairs are for!"

Schadenfreude by Luke Wehner June 23, 2004