gegabah

Gegabah is an adjective used in Malay and Indonesian to describe actions or decisions that are rash, reckless, or impulsive. It conveys a sense of acting without adequate thought or consideration of consequences, often suggesting carelessness or imprudence.

In usage, gegabah can describe a single act or a pattern of behavior. It is commonly employed in news reporting, opinion pieces, and everyday speech to critique hastiness or ill-considered judgment. The term generally carries a negative connotation and can be paired with nouns such as perbuatan (act), keputusan (decision), or tindakan (action), for example: keputusan itu gegabah (that decision is rash).

Etymology and regional usage: gegabah is a native Malay-Indonesian term formed with the general Malay-Indic prefix ge- that marks adjectives or nouns. While widely understood across Malay-speaking communities, the word is most frequently encountered in Indonesian and Malaysian media and everyday conversation. Variants and alternate spellings may appear in different dialects or transliterations, but gegabah is the standard form in contemporary usage.

Related terms include ceroboh (careless), terburu-buru (hasty), and sembrono (reckless). Gegabah is typically contrasted with deliberate or prudent choices and is often a target of critique in discussions about governance, planning, and personal conduct.

See also: ceroboh, terburu-buru, sembrono, prudentia (conceptual counterpart in some contexts).