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/ˌkjɑːˈsiː/ · adjective
(Singapore, colloquial, mildly derogatory) Unwilling to take a risk for fear that something bad or unfavorable will happen; cowardly, overly cautious and risk-averse..
Why are you so kiasi? You won't die from getting a small cut on the finger.
If everyone dares to bungee jump, why can't you do the same? Are you kiasi or what?
The kia-si/kia-su ("afraid to die/afraid to lose") attitude of the Totalisator Boards in Malaysia and Singapore is deplorable.
When you are anxious to make the right travel arrangements, you sometimes cannot help but be inquisitive. For those in the travel business, these whines should be a common affair. But when does being "inquisitive" translate into "irritating", or "anxious" into "kiasi" […]
Do not be alarmed if you have received this yellow cylinder which looks like a stick of dynamite and even had the word "explosive" on it. Last week, one "kiasi" fellow was so alarmed that he called the police […]
No lubang, so teruk. Kiasu cannot lose, / Kiasi cannot die; machiam machiam words / We also try. Proper English? So lecheh, / So correct, so actsy for what? […]
Too often you hear about Singaporeans with the "K syndrome", meaning kiasu (afraid of losing out), kiasi (afraid of dying), kiabor (afraid of wife).
Apart from the kiasis and kiasus, there are also Singaporeans at the other end of the scale – the healthcare workers who put their lives at risk.
Use kiasi when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Kiasi means (Singapore, colloquial, mildly derogatory) Unwilling to take a risk for fear that something bad or unfavorable will happen; cowardly, overly cautious and risk-averse..
Common synonyms include cowardly.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
Why are you so kiasi? You won't die from getting a small cut on the finger.
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