agak-agak

Singapore/ˈɑɡɑ(ʔ)ˌɑɡɑ(ʔ)/

verb

To estimate or guess.

Meanings

verbagak-agak (invariable)

alternative agak agak · alternative agar-agar

  1. ManglishSinglishinvariableTo estimate or guess.

    "Don't agak agak or we may end up on the wrong road."

    2004, Uncle Yap, “Star: Damn chun blur sotong kena hantam kau kau”, in soc.culture.malaysia, retrieved 05 Sep 2018
    4 more examples

    I am only trying my very best to recall what my granny did.....not agak agak, best of luck!!

    1998 August 23, chong, “Tapai (fermented tapioca)”, in soc.culture.malaysia, retrieved 05 Sep 2018

    We fail to estimate how many are present in a HUGE UM*NO roadshow...and we fail to agak-agak the number ppl in and outside of cars crying "repom" slogans on a NOT SO LONG road as Jalan TAR.

    1998, EyEwItNeSs, soc.culture.malaysia, retrieved 05 Sep 2018

    When cooking, for example, if asked how much sugar you put in, you could reply 'I just agak-agak.'

    1999, Adam Brown, Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal Publications, →ISBN, page 3

    Then we should ensure that they have the necessary quantitative skills so they could think with some degree of precision and not merely agak agak (wild guesses).

    2018, M. Bakri Musa, “Opening Minds Through Education”, in Seeing Malaysia My Way, retrieved 05 Sep 2018
adjectiveagak-agak (not comparable)

alternative agak agak · alternative agar-agar

  1. ManglishSinglishnot comparableInvolving guesswork.

    Kelly always said,'We Baba follow the agak-agak principle.'

    2007, Sidney Cheung, Chee-Beng Tan, editors, Food and Foodways in Asia: Resource, Tradition and Cooking, Abingdon: Routledge, →ISBN
    3 more examples

    A man who together with his partner - a few years and several hundred sketches ago - came out with the "agak agak" philosophy.

    1972 March 12, Edgar Koh, “the Comedians”, in New Nation, page 7

    Instinct and a brash and breezy "agak agak" style is the way men occasional chefs, not professional ones cook.

    1975 January 23, Betty L. Khoo, “When a man wears the apron and cooks to woo”, in New Nation, page 23

    Yes, although I would like to think of it as "agak agak figures."

    1991, Kok-Yong Tan, “Currency exchange rates (was Re: Working in Singapore)”, in soc.culture.asean, retrieved 05 Sep 2018

Origin

  1. Malayagak-agak
  2. Englishagak-agak

From Malay agak-agak, a reduplication of agak (“to estimate”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

agak-agak. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agak-agak

MLA

“agak-agak.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agak-agak. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agak-agak,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agak-agak.

Source: agak-agak on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.