Word of the Day - 12/20/25
epicaricacy
/ˌɛpɪˈkærɪkəsi/(n.): rejoicing at or deriving pleasure from the misfortunes of others
His epicaricacy was evident as he gloated over his rival's failed presentation.
Word Origin
The word 'epicaricacy' originates from Greek. It can be broken down into 'epi-' (ἐπι-, upon, over), 'kakos' (κακός, evil, bad), and 'charis' (χάρις, joy, grace), combined with the English noun suffix '-acy'. Thus, it literally means 'joy upon evil' or 'joy upon misfortune', referring to the pleasure derived from the troubles of others.
Words with similar Greek origins include 'cacophony' (from 'kakos', meaning bad sound), 'charisma' (from 'charis', meaning divine grace or gift), and 'epidemic' (from 'epi-', meaning upon the people). While 'Schadenfreude' shares a similar meaning, it is of German origin and therefore not a word with a similar etymological origin.