"pek chek" means singaporean hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated, exasperated, or fed up — the feeling of being at the end of one's patience with a situation or person. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
pek chek
Singaporean Hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated, exasperated, or fed up — the feeling of being at the end of one's patience with a situation or person.
ˈpek̚˦ ˌt͡sʰek̚˧˨Documented since 1990s1990sMillennialhistorical362 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1990 · no dated citations yetMillennial / early-internet eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
Firecrawl: The language the government tried to suppress - BBC
So pek chek.” Singlish is seen as a national treasure or a detriment and danger – depending on whom you ask Is that English or not?
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Firecrawl: Singlish, bahasa yang ingin 'dihilangkan' oleh pemerintah Singapura
So pek chek.”_ Begitulah isi pesannya yang kira-kira diartikan dalam bahasa Indonesia menjadi, “Tak bisa dibayangkan _sia_.
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Definitions
SG-MY
#1·Apr 28, 2026SG-MY
Singaporean Hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated, exasperated, or fed up — the feeling of being at the end of one's patience with a situation or person. It is widely used in Singapore colloquial English (Singlish) and is broadly understood across ethnic communities in Singapore.
Three hours in the queue with no shade and she was thoroughly pek chek about the whole thing.
Origin: From Hokkien 'pek chek' (irritated, exasperated); a common Hokkien expression absorbed into Singlish. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
"pek chek" means singaporean hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated, exasperated, or fed up — the feeling of being at the end of one's patience with a situation or person. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
For ESL learners
"pek chek" is informal English meaning singaporean hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated, exasperated, or fed up — the feeling of being at the end of one's patience with a situation or person. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "singaporean hokkien-influenced slang meaning frustrated" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "pek chek" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
Heard in the wild
“So pek chek.” Singlish is seen as a national treasure or a detriment and danger – depending on whom you ask Is that English or not?”
“So pek chek.”_ Begitulah isi pesannya yang kira-kira diartikan dalam bahasa Indonesia menjadi, “Tak bisa dibayangkan _sia_.”
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Global
#2·Apr 27, 2026Global
, exasperated, fed up.
Cluster: angry
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Semantically related
- cheeko pek80%
(Singlish, derogatory) Having lecherous inclinations; sick, depraved, sexually perverted.
- Ah Pek76%
A Singaporean Hokkien-influenced colloquial term for an older man or uncle, often applied to stereotypically old-fashioned or out-of-touch older men. The Ah prefix is a standard Hokkien address particle; pek is uncle. Can carry mild affection, mild mockery, or pure neutrality depending on tone and context. Related to the address term Ah Chek but with a slightly different feel — ah pek often implies an even older generation.
- cheeko pek75%
(Singlish, derogatory) A dirty old man; a pervert.
- Ah Pek74%
A Singaporean Singlish term for an older man, typically one who appears elderly or in his senior years. Like 'Ah Chek,' it derives from Hokkien — 'pek' refers to a great-uncle or older male relative. In everyday Singapore usage it often implies a man who is noticeably old-fashioned or out of touch, though it can also be used affectionately. It's the male counterpart to 'Ah Soh' and sits comfortably in Singlish's rich vocabulary of age-and-gender address terms.
- Ah Chek72%
Singaporean colloquial term (Singlish) for an older middle-aged man, roughly equivalent to 'uncle' in English but with a more specific generational sense. Derived from Hokkien, 'Ah' is a familiar prefix attached to kinship terms or names, and 'chek' means paternal uncle. In Singapore's multicultural street speech, it broadly describes any man who appears to be in his 40s–60s, often used affectionately or lightly teasing. It occupies a similar space to 'uncle' in other Southeast Asian Englishes.