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The Vocab Man - Fluent Vocabulary

#41 - Schadenfreude

Oct 29, 2020
The hosts explore the concept of Schadenfreude, discussing its German origins and its presence during the 2008 financial crisis. They also explore the meaning of Schadenfreude and its significance in deriving pleasure from others' troubles, particularly in the context of President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.
03:37

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Schadenfreude is a German word that refers to finding joy in the misfortunes of others.
  • Shadenfreida was Merriam-Webster's top lookup after President Trump's COVID-19 announcement, highlighting the international sympathy and malicious joy it drew.

Deep dives

Definition and Origin of Shadenfreida

Shadenfreida, a German word borrowed into English, refers to the enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others. It comes from the German words 'Shaden' meaning damage and 'Freude' meaning joy. Shadenfreida was Merriam-Webster's top lookup on October 2nd, following President Trump's announcement of testing positive for COVID-19, drawing a degree of international sympathy and malicious joy.

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