The word 'Schadenfreude' sees 30,500 per cent spike in search after Trump tested COVID-19 positive

Washington, Oct 05: Merriam-Webster Dictionary on Friday said that search for the word 'schadenfreude' spiked 30,500 per cent after US President Donald Trump tested COVID-19 positive. The word means seeking joy in someone else's trouble.

On its "Trend Watch" page, the site explained, "Schadenfreude is defined as 'enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others.' The English word was borrowed from German in the middle of the 19th century. In German it comes from Schaden ('damage') and Freude ('joy')."

Social media posts wishing for Trump's death had earlier surfaced online, with Twitter saying that such posts violate its 'Abusive Behavior policy'.

The "Trend Watch" page also pointed out that the word was the top lookup for Friday "by a very considerable margin" and the searches began after Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive.

Many Twitter posts included the word, from jokes to screenshots of Google searches for "can you die from schadenfreude."

After news broke late Thursday night that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus.

"But it's a Democratic Hoax? How could this have happened?! And WHY did you get tested?! That's what causes it!" Yvette Nicole Brown, one of the stars of "Community," tweeted.

Whitney Cummings joked, "I don't get how Melania got it - she's been social distancing from trump since they got married."