macam

M3A1C3A1M3
Singapore/ˈmat͡ʃam/Singapore, rare[ˈma˧t͡ɕ˭jam˦][ˈma˧t͡ʃam˦][-˦˧]

preposition

Like, similar to, resembling.

OriginMalay macam →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

preposition

alternative macham · alternative machiam

  1. MalaysiaSingaporeSinglishLike, similar to, resembling.

    Macam like rats stuck in pigeon holes

    2020 April 10, All Singapore Stuff, Facebook
    2 more examples

    Eee! Who-ah? You-ah? Oi! Cannot tahan man. Never shit so long-ah? Macham atomic bomb man. Uncle! Your old backside got big gas refinery is it?

    2006, Elangovan, Smegma, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 33

    Macham [like] monster like that. My eyes lagi [even more] worse.

    2018, Jean Tay, Sisters & Senang: The Island Plays, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Scene 3, Island Talk 1

Origin

  1. Malaymacam“like”
  2. Englishmacam

Unadapted borrowing from Malay macam (“like”).

More words from Malay

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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