Few foreign words have migrated into English as smoothly — or as mischievously — as the German term “schadenfreude.”

It’s a linguistic smirk built from two simple parts: harm and joy.

If you wonder what personifies a term like this, The Grinch is a textbook example because he gets joy out of ruining the holiday festivities of everyone in Whoville.

Here’s what you need to know about the word “schadenfreude” so you can start using it today.

What is the definition of ‘schadenfreude’?

The word “schadenfreude” is a noun that is defined as pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune.

How is the word ‘schadenfreude’ pronounced?

The word “schadenfreude” is pronounced /SHAA-duhn-froy-duh/.

How can you use ‘schadenfreude’ in a sentence?

I try to be a good person, but I can’

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