Schadenfreude: quick facts
Schadenfreude is the feeling of pleasure derived from another person's misfortune. The term is borrowed from German and names an experience that is common but often felt as socially uncomfortable. It tends to arise most…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Neutral
Emotion family / blend
Self-conscious
Typical triggers
A rival's misfortune, downfall of the disliked, comeuppance, reversals
How it's expressed
Suppressed or open smirk, satisfied glance, restrained amusement
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.