Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Schadenfreude

Sourced from The Emotion Thesaurus, 2^nd Edition

DEFINITION: Malicious enjoyment from the suffering or unhappiness of others

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
A sneer, followed by a bark of laughter
Squinting (from the force of one’s grin)
Fingers that alternately flex and curl into fists
The face and neck flushing with pleasure
Having a wild-eyed look
Tipping the head back
An unkind smile spreading slowly over the face
Pumping one’s fist at the sky
Chuckling unpleasantly
One’s chest rising and falling as breaths come quicker and faster
Rubbing the hands together
Drawing out one’s words: Would you look…at…that!
Verbally kicking someone when they’re down: You’ll never fit in here.
Nodding one’s head rapidly
Wetting the lips
Bouncing in place or shifting from one foot to the other
Seeking to benefit from the situation—e.g., making a bet against the victim
Looking the person up and down with a disgusted expression
Standing back and watching with an intense gaze
Egging on whoever is doing the hurting
Joining in the attack on the victim
Slapping one’s hands against the cheeks while the mouth hangs open in mock horror, then pointing at one’s rival and grinning
Savoring the moment with one’s friends (shaking heads scornfully, giving high fives, etc.)
Muscles that quiver and shake
A muscle tic jumping in the cheek, jaw, or neck
Clapping and jeering
Asking questions designed to make the person squirm: You did prepare for this, right?
Mumbling or muttering under the breath: Yeah, do it, or Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Crossing the arms so firmly the fingers dig into the biceps
Squatting down to get on the same level with the victim
Watching raptly but silently, the fingers steepled in front of one’s mouth
Relishing a secret’s reveal: Mom, did you know it was Jess who backed into your car last week?
Not responding to requests for help
Toying with the victim—e.g., reaching out a hand as if to help, then jerking it back
Catching the victim’s eye and making a fake “pouty” face
Talking about the experience later with friends

INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
A flush of warmth through the body
Feeling light-headed with adrenaline
An expansive feeling in the chest
A heady rush of power; feeling invincible
A buzzing sensation in the extremities
Twitchy muscles
Weakness in the knees as the adrenaline wears off

MENTAL RESPONSES:
One’s focus narrowing on the victim; everything else fading away
Fantasizing about participating in the victim’s misfortune
Feeling vindicated (if one had been mistreated by the victim in the past)
Wanting to continue the feeling of satisfaction by engaging in other harmful activities (trashing a hotel room, vandalizing someone’s car, brawling, etc.)
Justifying one’s feelings by blaming the victim or recalling their faults

ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION:
Yelling oneself hoarse
Profuse sweating
Decreased empathy for people in general
Wanting more (and more extreme) pain for the victim
Becoming sexually aroused (sadism)

SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED:
A smile that one tries (and fails) to restrain
Making eye contact with the victim and shrugging with a smile
Looking away (breaking eye contact)
Darting glances at others to see their emotional states before reacting
Positioning oneself so one can witness the mistreatment without being seen
Claiming to have no knowledge of the situation
Making passive-aggressive or ambiguous comments: Oh, you poor thing.
Watching with a stony face that seems to be devoid of emotion

MAY ESCALATE TO: Elation, Hysteria, Vengeful, Vindicated

MAY DE-ESCALATE TO: Conflicted, Doubt, Guilt, Shame

ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Bash, bask, belittle, cackle, castigate, cheer, clap, crow, crucify, declare, delight, enjoy, flaunt, gloat, humiliate, jeer, lambaste, lord, mock, preen, pretend, relish, savor, scoff, shout, simper, smirk, sneer, snicker, taunt, titter, torment

WRITER’S TIP: When you’re trying to write a specific character’s emotional reaction to a situation, remember that their core personality traits, past experiences, and deepest fears will steer their actions.

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition) is a one-of-a-kind resource that helps writers brainstorm stronger, more compelling descriptions of emotion.

View the list of 130 emotions included in this book
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