# Term for "Unhappy person who wants everyone else to be unhappy"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415 "2004-05-10T04:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/21 "2004-05-10T11:43:43Z")
_Schadenfreude_: taking pleasure in another’s misfortune. It’s a verb, and not exactly what you described, but it’s a good word in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/22 "2004-05-10T13:22:30Z")
> [@Rex Fenestrarum](#): > > Democrats? That’s only because the Reublicans put their anchors around the working class… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/23 "2004-05-10T13:31:25Z")
My wife and I call those types of people, “Grumpbutts”. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/24 "2004-05-10T13:53:08Z")
Sorry to all, esp. Bibliophage, for the unnecessary political banter in my previous post here… :smack: (What happened to that “embarrased” smilie?) Head hung low, - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/25 "2004-05-10T13:53:39Z")
Misanthrope, perhaps? Around here, they are called “Moderators.” d&r Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/26 "2004-05-10T14:18:04Z")
Downer? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/27 "2004-05-10T15:18:33Z")
Mom? Not _ **my** _ mom you understand. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/28 "2004-05-10T15:43:07Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > To expand on the title a bit more…Is there a term for “A person who wants everyone else to be miserable because they themselves are unhappy”? [cynical] Policeman [/cynical] ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/29 "2004-05-10T16:49:27Z")
[Anhedonia](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=anhedonic) My SO actually used that word in conversation the other day. She’s the coolest! ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/30 "2004-05-10T16:57:04Z")
First thing that came to my mind was “miser”, but apparently that also suggests a person with wealth. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/31 "2004-05-10T17:58:11Z")
Actually I found a better one. Debbie Downer. [http://www.nintendorks.com/brandon/temp/SNL\_DebbieDowner.wmv](http://www.nintendorks.com/brandon/temp/SNL_DebbieDowner.wmv) ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/32 "2004-05-10T18:08:33Z")
Well, it’s not a single word, but there’s a marvelous phrase that was coined to describe a friend’s co-worker: Sucking void of negativity ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/33 "2004-05-10T18:52:44Z")
Pessimist? ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/34 "2004-05-10T19:07:31Z")
I know one of these. I call her “Mom”. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Turk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dan\_Turk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Turk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/35 "2004-05-10T19:08:44Z")
Curmudgeon. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/36 "2004-05-10T19:27:48Z")
I think **vibrotronica** is the winner so far with _anhedonic_. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/37 "2004-05-10T19:36:45Z")
Realist. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/38 "2004-05-10T19:47:50Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > [Anhedonia](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=anhedonic) Apropos of nothing, “Anhedonia” was the working title of Woody Allen’s _Annie Hall_ before he and his editor discovered in the editing room a rather different movie than what they had originally thought they were shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/39 "2004-05-10T19:57:04Z")
a Grumpy Gus? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415/40 "2004-05-10T22:15:15Z")
I think ‘miseryguts’ is the word you seek. Anhedonia doesn’t impute preventing others from enjoyment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-unhappy-person-who-wants-everyone-else-to-be-unhappy/244415.md?page=3)