The word "glee": How prevalent is the aspect of 'schadenfreude' in normal use?

Solution 1:

As @Evan said, Glee could certainly be used to describe someone's delight caused by another person's misfortune, but it does not inherently mean schadenfreude, at least not in the US. Here's what the Oxford Dictionary (US) has to say:

Glee

NOUN

1 Great delight.

‘his face lit up with impish glee’

2 A song for men's voices in three or more parts, usually unaccompanied, of a type popular especially c.1750–1830.

‘Later, boys were paid to sing treble parts at meetings of glee clubs, and glees for SATB became more common.’

The latter definition, is apparently the source of the term glee club; something of which I was unaware.

In the British dictionary, however, the definition is slightly different:

Glee

NOUN

1 [mass noun] Great delight, especially from one's own good fortune or another's misfortune.

‘his face lit up with impish glee’

So, I guess it depends on where you are.