"wayang" means: A theatrical performance of mythological events employing puppets or human dancers in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially Java).. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
wayang
A theatrical performance of mythological events employing puppets or human dancers in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially Java).
Definitions
A theatrical performance of mythological events employing puppets or human dancers in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially Java).
"wayang" means: A theatrical performance of mythological events employing puppets or human dancers in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially Java).. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"wayang" means: A theatrical performance of mythological events employing puppets or human dancers in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially Java).. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
A shadow theatre performance, or such performances in general.
Comments
(Malaysia, Singapore, music) Any traditional theatrical work, combining drama, music, song and sometimes dance.
Mr [Inderjit] Singh had said earlier that Mr [James] Gomez told him the minority certificate incident was just a ‘wayang’, Malay for theatre.
Comments
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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Semantically related
- kabuki56%
(often, capitalized) A form of Japanese theatre in which elaborately costumed male performers use stylized movements, dances, and songs in order to enact tragedies and comedies.
- bhavai55%
(India) A type of folk theatre from Gujarat.
- natak54%
An Indian and South Asian term for a theatrical play or dramatic production, from Sanskrit. In informal usage it can also describe someone putting on a dramatic performance or making a scene — the drama sense is a common colloquial extension. Used across Hindi, Urdu, and related languages.