श्रेष्ठ

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha). Doublet of सेठ (seṭh).

Pronunciation

(Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /ʃɾeːʂʈʰ/
Rhymes: -eːʂʈʰ
Hyphenation: श्रेष्ठ

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śreṣṭh) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling سَرِیشْٹھ)^[1]

excellent, high-quality, best
Synonyms: आला (ālā), उत्तम (uttam)

Derived terms

References

^ “श्रेष्ठ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.

Nepali

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [sres̠t̠ʰʌ]
Phonetic Devanagari: स्रेस्ठ

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śreṣṭha)

excellent, first-class

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

শ্ৰেষ্ঠ (Assamese script)
ᬰ᭄ᬭᬾᬱ᭄ᬞ (Balinese script)
শ্রেষ্ঠ (Bengali script)
𑰫𑰿𑰨𑰸𑰬𑰿𑰙 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀰𑁆𑀭𑁂𑀱𑁆𑀞 (Brahmi script)
ၐြေၑ္ဌ (Burmese script)
શ્રેષ્ઠ (Gujarati script)
ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼੍ਠ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌠 (Grantha script)
ꦯꦿꦺꦰ꧀ꦜ (Javanese script)
𑂬𑂹𑂩𑂵𑂭𑂹𑂘 (Kaithi script)
ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ (Kannada script)
ឝ្រេឞ្ឋ (Khmer script)
ຨ຺ເຣຩ຺ຐ (Lao script)
ശ്രേഷ്ഠ (Malayalam script)
ᡧᡵᡝᢢᡱᠠ (Manchu script)
𑘫𑘿𑘨𑘹𑘬𑘿𑘙 (Modi script)
ᠱᠷᠧᢔᢍᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
𑧋𑧠𑧈𑧚𑧌𑧠𑦹 (Nandinagari script)
𑐱𑑂𑐬𑐾𑐲𑑂𑐛 (Newa script)
ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ (Odia script)
ꢯ꣄ꢬꢾꢰ꣄ꢝ (Saurashtra script)
𑆯𑇀𑆫𑆼𑆰𑇀𑆜 (Sharada script)
𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖸𑖬𑖿𑖙 (Siddham script)
ශ්‍රෙෂ‍්ඨ (Sinhalese script)
𑩿 𑪙𑩼𑩔𑪀 𑪙𑩧 (Soyombo script)
𑚧𑚶𑚤𑚲𑚶𑚕 (Takri script)
ஶ்ரேஷ்ட² (Tamil script)
శ్రేష్ఠ (Telugu script)
ศฺเรษฺฐ (Thai script)
ཤྲེ་ཥྛ (Tibetan script)
𑒬𑓂𑒩𑒹𑒭𑓂𑒚 (Tirhuta script)
𑨮𑩇𑨫𑨄𑨯𑩇𑨕 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćráyHištʰas (“most beautiful”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬙𐬀 (sraēšta, “most beautiful”).

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɕɾɐ́jʂ.ʈʰɐ/, /ɕɾɐ́.jiʂ.ʈʰɐ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ɕɾeːʂ.ʈʰɐ/

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ॑ • (śréṣṭha) stem (metrical Vedic sometimes śráyiṣṭha)

most beautiful, most splendid
- c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 4.36.7:
  श्रेष्ठं वः पेशो अधि धायि दर्शतं स्तोमो वाजा ऋभवस्तं जुजुष्टन ।
  śreṣṭhaṃ vaḥ peśo adhi dhāyi darśataṃ stomo vājā ṛbhavastaṃ jujuṣṭana.
  To you the most beautiful ornament has been assigned, the hymn of praise: Vājas and Ṛbhus, take joy therein!
best, chief, most excellent
Synonym: वसिष्ठ (vásiṣṭha)
- c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.43.5:
  यः शुक्र इव सूर्यो हिरण्यमिव रोचते ।
  श्रेष्ठो देवानां वसुः ॥
  yaḥ śukra iva sūryo hiraṇyamiva rocate.
  śreṣṭho devānāṃ vasuḥ.
  [Rudra is he] who is as bright as the Sun and shines like gold.
  The excellent, the best among the Gods.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of श्रेष्ठ॑
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	श्रेष्ठः॑ (śréṣṭhaḥ)	श्रेष्ठौ॑ (śréṣṭhau) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)	श्रेष्ठाः॑ (śréṣṭhāḥ) श्रेष्ठा॑सः¹ (śréṣṭhāsaḥ¹)
accusative	श्रेष्ठ॑म् (śréṣṭham)	श्रेष्ठौ॑ (śréṣṭhau) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)	श्रेष्ठा॑न् (śréṣṭhān)
instrumental	श्रेष्ठे॑न (śréṣṭhena)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठैः॑ (śréṣṭhaiḥ) श्रेष्ठे॑भिः¹ (śréṣṭhebhiḥ¹)
dative	श्रेष्ठा॑य (śréṣṭhāya)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठे॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhebhyaḥ)
ablative	श्रेष्ठा॑त् (śréṣṭhāt)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठे॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhebhyaḥ)
genitive	श्रेष्ठ॑स्य (śréṣṭhasya)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठा॑नाम् (śréṣṭhānām)
locative	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठे॑षु (śréṣṭheṣu)
vocative	श्रेष्ठ॑ (śréṣṭha)	श्रेष्ठौ॑ (śréṣṭhau) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)	श्रेष्ठाः॑ (śréṣṭhāḥ) श्रेष्ठा॑सः¹ (śréṣṭhāsaḥ¹)

¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of श्रेष्ठा॑
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	श्रेष्ठा॑ (śréṣṭhā)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठाः॑ (śréṣṭhāḥ)
accusative	श्रेष्ठा॑म् (śréṣṭhām)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठाः॑ (śréṣṭhāḥ)
instrumental	श्रेष्ठ॑या (śréṣṭhayā) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठा॑भिः (śréṣṭhābhiḥ)
dative	श्रेष्ठा॑यै (śréṣṭhāyai)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhābhyaḥ)
ablative	श्रेष्ठा॑याः (śréṣṭhāyāḥ) श्रेष्ठा॑यै² (śréṣṭhāyai²)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhābhyaḥ)
genitive	श्रेष्ठा॑याः (śréṣṭhāyāḥ) श्रेष्ठा॑यै² (śréṣṭhāyai²)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठा॑नाम् (śréṣṭhānām)
locative	श्रेष्ठा॑याम् (śréṣṭhāyām)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठा॑सु (śréṣṭhāsu)
vocative	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठाः॑ (śréṣṭhāḥ)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of श्रेष्ठ॑
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	श्रेष्ठ॑म् (śréṣṭham)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठा॑नि (śréṣṭhāni) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)
accusative	श्रेष्ठ॑म् (śréṣṭham)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठा॑नि (śréṣṭhāni) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)
instrumental	श्रेष्ठे॑न (śréṣṭhena)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठैः॑ (śréṣṭhaiḥ) श्रेष्ठे॑भिः¹ (śréṣṭhebhiḥ¹)
dative	श्रेष्ठा॑य (śréṣṭhāya)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठे॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhebhyaḥ)
ablative	श्रेष्ठा॑त् (śréṣṭhāt)	श्रेष्ठा॑भ्याम् (śréṣṭhābhyām)	श्रेष्ठे॑भ्यः (śréṣṭhebhyaḥ)
genitive	श्रेष्ठ॑स्य (śréṣṭhasya)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठा॑नाम् (śréṣṭhānām)
locative	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठ॑योः (śréṣṭhayoḥ)	श्रेष्ठे॑षु (śréṣṭheṣu)
vocative	श्रेष्ठ॑ (śréṣṭha)	श्रेष्ठे॑ (śréṣṭhe)	श्रेष्ठा॑नि (śréṣṭhāni) श्रेष्ठा॑¹ (śréṣṭhā¹)

¹Vedic

Related terms

श्रेयस् (śréyas)

Descendants

Pali: seṭṭha
- → Khmer: សេដ្ឋ (seetthaʼ)
- → Thai: เศรษฐ (sèet-tà-)
Prakrit: 𑀲𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀞 (siṭṭha)

Borrowed terms

→ Bengali: শ্রেষ্ঠ (sreśṭho)
→ Gujarati: શ્રેષ્ઠ (śreṣṭh)
→ Hindustani:
Hindi: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh)

Urdu: سَرِیشْٹھ (sarīśṭh)
→ Kannada: ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ (śrēṣṭha)
→ Malayalam: ശ്രേഷ്ഠം (śrēṣṭhaṁ)
→ Marathi: śreṣṭha
Devanagari script: श्रेष्ठ

Modi script: 𑘫𑘿𑘨𑘹𑘬𑘿𑘙
→ Odia: ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ (śreṣṭha)
→ Punjabi: ਸ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ (sreśaṭh)
→ Telugu: శ్రేష్ఠము (śrēṣṭhamu)

[1] “श्रेष्ठ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.

[1]