As thousands of online reference guide users have recently learned, the dictionary defines “schadenfreude” as “enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others.”
On Friday morning, Merriam-Webster reported a 30,500% increase in queries for the word following the revelation that Donald and Melania Trump had contracted COVID-19 — which, of course, came after months of the White House’s insufficient and ineffective response to the pandemic.
📈 Lookups for ‘schadenfreude’ have spiked 30,500% https://t.co/nWRnJzKUPd
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 2, 2020
The archaic term, with origins dating back as far as the late 18th century, literally combines the German words for “damage” or “harm” (“schaden”) and “joy” (“freude”). Read more…
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