kena

K5E1N1A1
Singapore/ˈkənɑ/Singapore/ˈkɑnɑ/Singapore[ˈk˭ə˧.nä˦]Malaysia/ˈkənə/

verb

To experience, receive, suffer, get or be affected by (something negative).

“He kena fine $10.”

Similar
gotget it
OriginMalay kena →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

kena1

nounkena (plural kenas)

plural kenas

  1. alternativeAlternative form of quena (“traditional flute of the Andes”).

kena2

verbkena (invariable)
  1. ambitransitiveinvariableTo experience, receive, suffer, get or be affected by (something negative).

    They all kena food poisoning.

    1 more example

    If they ever catch you jaywalking, you will kena.

    Synonyms: got, get it

  2. auxiliaryinvariableUsed before a verb to indicate the adversative passive voice.

    He kena fine $10.

    1 more example

    My job application kena rejected.

    Synonyms: got

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo experience, receive, suffer, get or be affected by (something negative).

Similar
gotget it

verbUsed before a verb to indicate the adversative passive voice.

Similar
got

Origin

  1. Malaykena“to be struck, hit, affected by”
  2. Englishkena

Borrowed from Malay kena (“to be struck, hit, affected by”).

More words from Malay

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

kaneKeannakekaenakenenka
Cite this entry
APA

kena. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kena

MLA

“kena.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kena. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kena,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kena.

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