Kerek

A Malaysian or Singaporean slang word that means haughty or disdainfully proud because they know they are superior to the other person. May also equate to the Malay slangs "eksyen" (action) or "ek" (short of action).

Origin: Believed to originate from Johor, Malaysia used since the 70s but gained popularity in Malaysian pop culture in the 90s.

The real meaning in malay is winch or sheave but the slang has nothing to do with that. It's thought to come from the english word "character" which means someone giving an attitude over something or showing haughty character. It is different from the Johorean Malaysian or Singaporean slang "gerek" which means stylish.

Note: Kerek may be used offensively or playfully. Sometimes it is used as a scorn or backhanded compliment. However, kerek always denotes that the kerek person is above or better than the person who calls them kerek, which can also become a form of indirect compliment. A person who calls another kerek may even be gauged as jealous as they agree that the kerek person is better than them but they feel that they're full of it.

Cik Ani: Si Sarah tu, sejak balik dari Paris itu hari, kerek betul dia!

Cik Senah: Aku tengok OK je? Siap bagi aku ole-ole keychain Eiffel Tower. Tapi ha, memang patut pun dia kerek, sebab dia yang dapat pergi Paris, bukan kau! Kau ni jeles sebenarnya kan sebab kau tak dapat ole-ole?

(Cik Ani: That Sarah girl, ever since she came back from Paris the other day, she's so kerek!

Cik Senah: She seems okay to me. She even gave me an Eiffel Tower keychain as a souvenir. She definitely deserves to be kerek because she's the one who got to go to Paris and not you! You're just jealous because you didn't get any souvenirs right?)