Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Enjoyment or satisfaction derived from observing the suffering of others.
  • noun A violent public spectacle or disturbance in which shame, degradation, or physical harm is intentionally inflicted on one person or group by another.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A public entertainment characterized by violence, degradation and suffering

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From the bloody gladiatorial contests staged as entertainment for the ancient Romans.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the gladiatorial contests of Ancient Rome

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Examples

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