kek
English
Etymology
ㅋㅋㅋ (keukeukeu) is the childish Korean equivalent of the English "haha". Since this is often used in StarCraft matches, Blizzard, Starcraft’s developers, decided to reference it in World of Warcraft: when a player of the Horde faction types "lol" using the /say messaging command, members of the opposing faction see it as "kek".[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kɛk/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛk
Interjection
kek
- (Internet slang, video games) Used to indicate laughter or humour.
- 2007 October 13, The Cynic [username], “Re: Nobel Peace belong to me.”, in alt.politics.bush, Usenet:
- Now Freakie boy, for a tasty doggie biscuit, can you try saying that again without any grammatical error?
kek kek kek kek kek
- 2013 December 11, Steve Nickolas, “Re: 1984 Apple IIe Owner's Manual”, in comp.sys.apple2, Usenet:
- Top kek.
I can't believe Apple would derp like THAT, at least the Apple of the mid-1980s.
- 2014 February 19, Checkmate [username] (quoting [Tor] Friendly Neighborhood Vote> Wrangler Emeritus [username]), “Checkmate's Discount House of Spatulas”, in alt.usenet.kooks, Usenet:
- > "an hour or two a day" "chasing old Checkmate posts."
>
>kek
-
Usage notes
Since 2016, the term kek has been associated with some sectors of the American white supremacist alt-right movement.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Use unrelated to white supremacism also persists.
Translations
Verb
kek (third-person singular simple present keks, present participle kekking or keking, simple past and past participle kekked or keked or kek'd)
Synonyms
References
- Sarkar, Samit (September 14, 2017), “Bungie explains how Destiny 2 armor resembling hate symbol made it into the game”, in Polygon, retrieved August 4, 2018
- Moomaw, Graham (February 16, 2017), “In Charlottesville, GOP candidate for governor Corey Stewart allies with alt-right-inspired blogger who wants to protect 'glorious Western civilization'”, in Richmond Times-Dispatch
- Mardell, Mark (September 22, 2016), “Naked Nigel, the God Kek and modern politics”, in BBC News
- King, James (November 22, 2016), “Cucks & Kek: Racism's Old Guard Reaches Out To An Online Generation”, in Vocativ
- Lock, Colm (December 1, 2016), “Harambe and the magic of memes”, in The Mancunion, retrieved February 26, 2017
- Harkinson, Josh (October 27, 2016), “Meet the White Nationalist Trying To Ride The Trump Train to Lasting Power”, in Mother Jones
- Hathaway, Jay (November 7, 2016), “Trump Fans Unleash Last-Minute Flood of Pepe the Frog Memes”, in The Daily Dot, retrieved February 26, 2017
Atong (India)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kek/
References
- van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary.
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kɛk/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: kek
- Rhymes: -ɛk
Adjective
kek
- (Netherlands) eye-catching (visually pleasing in a hip or bold manner)
- 2016 February 19, Thijs Zonneveld, "De beige sjaal van Dick Advocaat is een statement", Algemeen Dagblad.
- Dick doet er niet aan mee. Geen kekke overhemden, geen moeilijke kapsels (al was dat over zijn schedel gekamde haar dat hij vroeger had ook een soort van hip, destijds), geen laklederen laarsjes en geen Only God Can Judge Me-tatoeage in zijn nek.
- Dick does not go along with it. No flashy shirts, no difficult hairdo (although the hairstyle that he used to have, hair combed sideways, was also some kind of trendy, at that time), no glossy leather boots and no "Only God Can Judge Me" tattoos on his neck.
- 2016 February 19, Thijs Zonneveld, "De beige sjaal van Dick Advocaat is een statement", Algemeen Dagblad.
- (Netherlands, by extension) fashionable
- (Netherlands) sassy (bold and spirited; cheeky)
- 2013 October 13, Sjoerd Hartholt, "Zo stoppen we de terreur van de straatwervers", HP/De Tijd.
- In feite is het verschil met bedelende zwervers niet heel groot, alleen zijn die meestal veel minder opdringerig en aanwezig. Een ander verschil is dat straatwervers vaak kekke meisjes en jongens zijn die bovendien zeggen dat je kapsel tof is en dat je een relaxt persoon lijkt.
- In fact the difference with begging vagrants is not very large, but these are usually much less intrusive and prominent. Another difference is that street promoters are often cheeky girls and boys who moreover say that your hairstyle is swell and that you seem like a relaxed kind of person.
- 2013 October 13, Sjoerd Hartholt, "Zo stoppen we de terreur van de straatwervers", HP/De Tijd.
Synonyms
- (sassy, spirited): kittig
- (visually appealing): blits
Fiji Hindi
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /keːk/
Indonesian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kɛʔ/
Further reading
- “kek” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Malay
Noun
kek (Jawi spelling کيک, plural kek-kek, informal 1st possessive kekku, 2nd possessive kekmu, 3rd possessive keknya)
Further reading
- “kek” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.
Turkish
Usage notes
- It's called "pasta" when it's with cream filling
Volapük
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | kek | keks |
genitive | keka | kekas |
dative | keke | kekes |
accusative | keki | kekis |
vocative 1 | o kek! | o keks! |
predicative 2 | keku | kekus |
- 1 status as a case is disputed
- 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only