Meanings
nounkiasuness (uncountable)
- SingaporeSinglishderogatorymildlyuncountableThe quality of being kiasu (overly competitive and afraid to lose out).
Origin
kiasu + -ness, from Hokkien 驚輸／惊输 (kiaⁿ-su, “afraid to lose out”)
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
kiasuness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiasuness
MLA
“kiasuness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiasuness. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kiasuness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiasuness.
Source: kiasuness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.