Learn English – a word for when you enjoy something, but wish you didn’t. Or you don’t want to enjoy something but you end up finding it funny anyway

emotionssingle-word-requests

I need a word for this emotion and I can't think of one.
Thoughts?

Best Answer

Some vocabulary options include:

  • Schadenfreude (as suggested by @DWKraus) - pleasure and enjoyment that is derived by someone from another person's misfortune, i.e. "leopards ate my face" scenarios of karmic retribution.

  • "Guilty pleasure" - something that is secretly enjoyable but which you feel bad for enjoying, i.e. eating lots of unhealthy food or binging a terrible TV show.

  • Vice - similar to the concept of a "guilty pleasure," something that is self-destructive, negative or bad for you that you shouldn't enjoy and feel bad for enjoying, but you do anyway. The usual examples are smoking and drugs.

  • Indulgence - something extravagant or overly luxurious and unnecessary that you enjoy, but also something that is generally selfish and that society in general might frown upon. When you "indulge" someone in something, it often carries the implication that you're letting them do something selfish or self-seeking.