"jasoos" means: Borrowed from Hindi and Urdu, jasoos means a spy or secret agent — but in everyday South Asian use it's more likely to describe a nosy neigh.... 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.
jasoos
Borrowed from Hindi and Urdu, jasoos means a spy or secret agent — but in everyday South Asian use it's more likely to describe a nosy neighbour, a snooping sibling, or anyone who can't mind their own business.
Definitions
#1·Apr 28, 2026
Borrowed from Hindi and Urdu, jasoos means a spy or secret agent — but in everyday South Asian use it's more likely to describe a nosy neighbour, a snooping sibling, or anyone who can't mind their own business. It carries a mix of suspicion and humour. Parents call kids a jasoos for eavesdropping on grown-up conversations; friends use it when someone's a little too well-informed about everyone else's drama.
"Stop being such a jasoos," she laughed, catching her brother with his ear pressed to the door.
Origin: From Arabic jasus (spy, informer), adopted into Hindi-Urdu as jasoos; widely used across South Asia and diaspora communities. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
"jasoos" means: Borrowed from Hindi and Urdu, jasoos means a spy or secret agent — but in everyday South Asian use it's more likely to describe a nosy neigh.... 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.
For ESL learners
"jasoos" means: Borrowed from Hindi and Urdu, jasoos means a spy or secret agent — but in everyday South Asian use it's more likely to describe a nosy neigh.... 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.
Cluster: friend
Was this helpful?
Comments
#2·Apr 27, 2026
(India, historical) A spy.
Was this helpful?
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.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "jasoos".
🗺️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.
Tags
Other words near "jasoos" (J)
Browse all slang words starting with J.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- 59%
Kunjoos is a South Asian slang term — widely used across India, Pakistan, and diaspora communities — for someone who is stingy, tight-fisted, or chronically cheap. It's the person who calculates every paisa at a group dinner, conveniently forgets their wallet when the bill arrives, and buys the cheapest possible gift while expecting the most expensive in return. The word has a playful but pointed edge; calling someone kunjoos is a light roast that everyone in the group understands immediately.
- 58%
To secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others.
- 57%
Indian English slang for a police informer or snitch -- someone who quietly feeds information to authorities. The word comes from the Urdu and Hindi 'khabar' meaning news or information. A khabri operates covertly, their identity usually secret for obvious reasons. The term is widely understood across South Asia and among South Asian diaspora communities around the world. The word carries a sense of quiet menace in contexts where informing is dangerous.
- 57%
Jaish is an Arabic-origin word meaning 'army' or 'legion' that entered South Asian languages through Urdu and Persian influence. In everyday Indian and Pakistani usage it simply refers to an armed force or military body. However, the term carries heightened sensitivity because it appears in the names of several militant organizations active in South Asia. In casual or historical contexts it's a neutral military term; in news and political discussion, it often signals something more charged.