kiasu

American  

[kee-ah-soo, kee-uh-soo] / kiˈɑ su, ˈki əˌsu /

adjective

1. self-serving, competitive, or greedy.

   parents who are kiasu about their children’s education.

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noun

1. Also kiasuism a self-serving, competitive, or greedy mindset.

Etymology

Origin of kiasu

First recorded in 1975–80; from dialectal Chinese (Southern Min, Fujian): literally, “fear of losing or of losing out”; introduced into standard English by speakers of Singaporean English

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