Roman holiday
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Roman holiday
n.
1. Enjoyment or satisfaction derived from observing the suffering of others.
2. A violent public spectacle or disturbance in which shame, degradation, or physical harm is intentionally inflicted on one person or group by another.
[From the bloody gladiatorial contests staged as entertainment for the ancient Romans.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Roman holiday
n
entertainment or pleasure that depends on the suffering of others
[C19: from Byron's poem Childe Harold (IV, 141)]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
Ro′man hol′iday
n.
1. a riotous public disturbance, often marked by wanton destruction and licentiousness.
2. pleasure or entertainment obtained from the discomfort or suffering of others.
[1885–90]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Roman holiday
- Enjoyment or profit derived from others' discomfort or suffering, based on the gladiator matches enjoyed by ancient Romans.See also related terms for profit.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.