मस्त (mast)

adjective/adverb A casual, upbeat adjective meaning 'great/awesome' or 'carefree/intoxicated,' plus a common adverbial use meaning 'really, totally' before another adjective.

Sense 1 : great, awesome, excellent (of things, food, experiences)

adjective

Synonyms: बढ़िया (badhiyaa), शानदार (shaandaar), जबरदस्त (jabardast)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the word you will hear a Delhi friend use over chai after a great movie or a plate of chaat -- मस्त था यार (mast thaa yaar, 'it was great, man') is everyday praise, warmer and more casual than a flat अच्छा (achchhaa).

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अच्छा (achchhaa) everywhere, but मस्त (mast) carries more enthusiasm and casual energy -- it is what you say when something genuinely delighted you, not just a neutral 'good.' 2) It is a bit informal; in a job interview or formal letter, अच्छा (achchhaa) or बहुत बढ़िया (bahut badhiyaa) reads more appropriately.

Sample Sentences:

यार, वो फिल्म मस्त थी! Man, that movie was great!

(yaar, vo philm mast thii!)

आज की चाट बहुत मस्त बनी है। Today's chaat has turned out really great.

(aaj kii chaat bahut mast banii hai।)

इस ढाबे का खाना हमेशा मस्त होता है। The food at this roadside eatery is always great.

(is dhaabe kaa khaanaa hameshaa mast hotaa hai।)

अगर तुम वो गाना सुनोगे, तो कहोगे कि कितना मस्त है। If you listen to that song, you'll say how great it is.

(agar tum vo gaanaa sunoge, to kahoge ki kitnaa mast hai।)

मस्त जगह है यह, चलो यहीं रुकते हैं। This is a great place, let's stop right here.

(mast jagah hai yah, chalo yahiin rukte hain।)

काश तुमने वो शो देखा होता, बहुत मस्त था। I wish you had watched that show, it was so great.

(kaash tumne vo sho dekhaa hotaa, bahut mast thaa।)

अगर मौका मिले, तो कोई कैसे न कहे कि यह जगह मस्त है? If given the chance, how could anyone not say this place is great?

(agar maukaa mile, to koii kaise n kahe ki yah jagah mast hai?)

इस रेस्तराँ में हर डिश बहुत मस्त बनाई जाती है। Every dish at this restaurant is made really great.

(is restraan men har dish bahut mast banaaii jaatii hai।)

यह होटल का कमरा तो एकदम मस्त निकला। This hotel room turned out to be absolutely great.

(yah hotal kaa kamraa to ekdam mast niklaa।)

क्या मस्त मौसम है आज! What great weather it is today!

(kyaa mast mausam hai aaj!)

मस्त था यार, दोबारा वहीं चलते हैं। It was great, man, let's go there again.

(mast thaa yaar, dobaaraa vahiin chalte hain।)

Sense 2 : carefree, relaxed, in high spirits

adjective

Synonyms: बेफ़िक्र (befikr), खुशमिज़ाज (khushmizaaj)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: मस्त ज़िंदगी (mast zindgii, 'a carefree life') captures a very Indian ideal of contentment -- not ambition-driven success, but an easy, untroubled mood, the kind associated with a lazy Sunday or a village afternoon under a tree.

Sample Sentences:

छुट्टी के दिन वो बिलकुल मस्त रहता है। On his day off, he stays completely carefree.

(chhuttii ke din vo bilkul mast rahtaa hai।)

गाँव में उसने एक मस्त ज़िंदगी बिताई। He spent a carefree life in the village.

(gaanv men usne ek mast zindgii bitaaii।)

पेड़ के नीचे लेटा वो आदमी बड़ा मस्त लग रहा था। That man lying under the tree looked so carefree.

(ped ke niiche letaa vo aadmii badaa mast lag rahaa thaa।)

अरे यार, थोड़ा मस्त रह, इतनी टेंशन मत ले। Hey man, just chill out a bit, don't take so much tension.

(are yaar, thodaa mast rah, itnii tenshan mat le।)

अगर पैसे की चिंता न हो, तो ज़िंदगी कितनी मस्त होती। If there were no worry about money, life would be so carefree.

(agar paise kii chintaa n ho, to zindgii kitnii mast hotii।)

रिटायरमेंट के बाद वे एक मस्त और सुकून भरी ज़िंदगी जीना चाहते हैं। After retirement, they want to live a carefree and peaceful life.

(ritaayarment ke baad ve ek mast aur sukoon bharii zindgii jiinaa chaahte hain।)

समुद्र किनारे बैठकर वो बहुत मस्त महसूस कर रही थी। Sitting by the seaside, she was feeling very carefree.

(samudr kinaare baithkar vo bahut mast mahsoos kar rahii thii।)

काश मैं भी उसकी तरह मस्त रह पाता, बिना किसी फ़िक्र के। I wish I too could stay carefree like him, without any worry.

(kaash main bhii uskii tarah mast rah paataa, binaa kisii fikr ke।)

बचपन में हम कितने मस्त हुआ करते थे, कोई ज़िम्मेदारी ही नहीं थी। In childhood we used to be so carefree, there was no responsibility at all.

(bachpan men ham kitne mast huaa karte the, koii zimmedaarii hii nahiin thii।)

Sense 3 : intoxicated, tipsy, in a trance-like high (often from alcohol, love, or music)

adjective Often appears with में (men) or as part of a compound like मदमस्त (madmast) to intensify the sense of intoxication or rapture.

Synonyms: नशे में (nashe men, phrase, drunk/high), मदमस्त (madmast, intensified form)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This older, more poetic sense survives in Bollywood lyrics and Sufi-inflected songs, where a lover is described as मस्त (mast) the way one might be drunk on wine or on love itself -- the word bridges the literal (alcohol) and the figurative (rapture) the way 'intoxicated' does in English.

Sample Sentences:

वह प्रेम में मस्त हो गया। He became intoxicated with love.

(vah prem men mast ho gayaa।)

शराब पीकर वह मस्त हो जाता है। He gets intoxicated after drinking alcohol.

(sharaab piikar vah mast ho jaataa hai।)

सूफ़ी गायक की आवाज़ सुनकर सब मस्त हुए जा रहे थे। Hearing the Sufi singer's voice, everyone was falling into a trance-like rapture.

(soofii gaayak kii aavaaz sunkar sab mast hue jaa rahe the।)

राधा कृष्ण के प्रेम में मस्त रहती थी। Radha remained intoxicated in her love for Krishna.

(raadhaa krishn ke prem men mast rahtii thii।)

काश वह इतनी मस्त न होती कि होश ही न रहे। If only she weren't so intoxicated that she'd lose all sense.

(kaash vah itnii mast n hotii ki hosh hii n rahe।)

यदि वह भांग पी ले तो शायद मस्त हो जाए। If he drinks bhang, he might become intoxicated.

(yadi vah bhaang pii le to shaayad mast ho jaae।)

मस्त होकर मत गाओ, लोग देख रहे हैं। Don't sing all intoxicated like that, people are watching.

(mast hokar mat gaao, log dekh rahe hain।)

उस रात संगीत की धुन में सारी महफ़िल मस्त थी। That night, the whole gathering was intoxicated by the melody of the music.

(us raat sangiit kii dhun men saarii mahfil mast thii।)

भक्त ईश्वर के नाम में मस्त होकर नाचने लगा। The devotee, intoxicated with God's name, began to dance.

(bhakt iishvar ke naam men mast hokar naachne lagaa।)

शराब से इतना मस्त कर दिया गया था कि वह चल भी नहीं पा रहा था। He had been made so intoxicated by the alcohol that he couldn't even walk.

(sharaab se itnaa mast kar diyaa gayaa thaa ki vah chal bhii nahiin paa rahaa thaa।)

Sense 4 : really, totally (intensifier before an adjective)

adverb Placed directly before another adjective, e.g. मस्त मज़ेदार (mast mazedaar, 'really fun') -- functions as a colloquial intensifier rather than describing a noun on its own.

Synonyms: बहुत (bahut), एकदम (ekdam)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: Young people in Delhi often stack मस्त (mast) onto another adjective for emphasis -- मस्त मज़ा आया (mast mazaa aayaa, 'had a total blast') -- a very casual, youth-inflected pattern you will hear more on the street than on the news.

Common Mistakes: 1) This intensifier use is casual slang; it can sound out of place in writing or formal speech where बहुत (bahut) is safer.

Sample Sentences:

आज खाना मस्त बढ़िया बना है। The food turned out really great today.

(aaj khaanaa mast badhiyaa banaa hai।)

वो मस्त तेज़ गाड़ी चलाता है। He drives really fast.

(vo mast tez gaadii chalaataa hai।)

कल पार्टी में मस्त मज़ा आया। We had a total blast at the party yesterday.

(kal paartii men mast mazaa aayaa।)

यार, तू मस्त स्मार्ट लग रहा है आज। Dude, you're looking really smart today.

(yaar, too mast smaart lag rahaa hai aaj।)

अगर तू थोड़ा और मेहनत करे तो मस्त अच्छे नंबर आएँगे। If you work a little harder, you'll get really good marks.

(agar too thodaa aur mehnat kare to mast achchhe nambar aaenge।)

मस्त ठंडी हवा चल रही थी, इसलिए हम देर तक बाहर बैठे रहे। There was a really cool breeze blowing, so we sat outside for a long time.

(mast thandii havaa chal rahii thii, islie ham der tak baahar baithe rahe।)

अगर वो मस्त तैयार होकर आती तो सब उसे देखते रह जाते। If she had come dressed really well, everyone would have kept staring at her.

(agar vo mast taiyaar hokar aatii to sab use dekhte rah jaate।)

थोड़ा मस्त तेज़ चल, बस छूट जाएगी। Walk really fast, we're going to miss the bus.

(thodaa mast tez chal, bas chhoot jaaegii।)

उसकी नई दुकान मस्त बड़ी है। His new shop is really big.

(uskii naii dukaan mast badii hai।)

इस बार हमारी टीम मस्त शानदार खेली। Our team played really brilliantly this time.

(is baar hamaarii tiim mast shaandaar khelii।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: मस्त (mast)