lebai

L1E1B3A1I1

noun

A very devout person who behaves in a hypocritical manner.

OriginMalay lebai →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounlebai (plural lebais)

plural lebais

  1. MalaysiaderogatoryslangIslamA very devout person who behaves in a hypocritical manner.
  2. InternetMalaysiaderogatoryMalaysian politicsA member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), esp. one who behaves in a hypocritical manner.
  3. InternetMalaysiabroadlyderogatoryMalaysian politicsA supporter of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS)

Origin

  1. Malaylebai“someone who knows a lot about religion, a religious expert”
  2. Englishlebai

Borrowed from Malay lebai (“someone who knows a lot about religion, a religious expert”). The extended sense of "a supporter or member of PAS" was used by opponents to mock the conservative Islamic party's obsession with religious issues, carried over from Malay-language usage.

More words from Malay

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

bailealbieLeibalebiabalei
Cite this entry
APA

lebai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lebai

MLA

“lebai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lebai. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lebai,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lebai.

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