kiasu
[ kee-ah-soo, kee-uh-soo ]
/ kiˈɑ su, ˈki əˌsu /
adjective
self-serving, competitive, or greedy: parents who are kiasu about their children’s education.
noun
Also ki·a·su·ism.
a kiasu mind-set.
Origin of kiasu
< Chinese: literally, ‘fear of losing or of losing out’