kiasun.adj.
/ˈkjɑːsuː/, /kjɑːˈsuː/, U.S. /ˈkjɑˌsu/, /ˌkjɑˈsu/, Singapore and Malaysian English /ˈˌkjɑˈˌsu/ colloquial (originally and chiefly in South-East Asia, esp. Singapore). depreciative.
A. n.
A person governed by self-interest, typically manifesting as a selfish, grasping attitude arising from a fear of missing out on something. Also: such an attitude.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > self-interest > [noun] > quality or state
self-endednessc1650
self-interestedness1674
interestedness1711
self-seekingness1833
on-the-make-ness1923
kiasu1978
1978 Leong Choon Cheong Youth in Army 308 Kian su. It means ‘play safe’: Hokkien. Used to describe a person, commonly a government official, who is rigidly over-cautious and unprepared to take any risk, however unlikely. A distinguishing characteristic of civil servants both within and outside the defence set-up.
1982 Toh Paik Choo Eh, Goondu! 27 Anytime an over-zealous person is spotted putting in an extra minute or doing a centimetre more than called for, he's guilty of being a ‘kiah su’. Not that he hates to lose, but he's afraid to be second best.
1992 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 16 May 26 At last, a cure for the kiasu.
1993 South China Post (Hong Kong) 30 Jan. 5 There has been a slight tussle in the last week between the bulls, bears and the kiasu (those afraid to lose).
2006 Eastern Daily Press (Norwich) (Nexis) 27 Feb. Kiasu is what causes eager commuters to shove their way onto the MRT before other passengers can alight.
B. adj.
Chiefly of a person: characterized by a grasping or selfish attitude arising from a fear of missing out on something.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > self-interest > [adjective] > selfish
self-respecting1597
selfish1628
selfful1640
selfy1643
sellie1825
kiasu1990
1990 Official Rep. Parl. Deb. Singapore 14 Mar. 181 I wish that the Government Ministers do not become infected with the same kiasu syndrome that they themselves have advised other people against.
1992 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 16 May 32 They [sc. parents] felt that..‘kiasu’ parents would load their children with excessive, sometimes irrelevant, supplementary materials.
2005 E. Lin See My Kiasu Teenage Life in Singapore 172 I know I always think mean things of Alisa about her being kiasu and pretending not to study, but..I realize that she probably also feels insecure about her own intelligence.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1978