Schadenfreude
The guilty pleasure of taking joy in another's misfortune.
What it means
Schadenfreude is the experience of pleasure, satisfaction, or amusement at the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another person. It is typically intensified when the misfortune is seen as deserved, when it befalls an envied or rival target, or when it restores a sense of justice or self-worth through downward comparison. The emotion is closely tied to envy, social comparison, and group rivalry, and is often felt toward out-groups in politics and sports. Because it conflicts with norms of compassion, it is frequently concealed, which complicates its measurement. Its mirror image is 'gluckschmerz,' displeasure at another's good fortune, and together they reveal the deeply comparative nature of human emotion.
Examples
Fans of a rival team feel a quiet thrill when the star player they resent fumbles in the final seconds.
The colleague who took credit for your work fluffs their big presentation, and you find yourself fighting a smile you would rather not be having.
The driver who cut across three lanes to gain ten seconds is pulled over a mile later, and every car that passes enjoys it slightly more than it should.
First described in Discussed by Heider (1958); modern work by Smith, van Dijk and colleagues.