नष्ट (nasht)
adjective
A learned adjective meaning 'destroyed' or 'ruined,' almost always used with the light verb करना (karnaa) or होना (honaa) to form compound expressions ('to destroy' / 'to be destroyed'); it rarely stands alone as a simple descriptive adjective.
Sense
1
:
destroyed, ruined, wrecked
adjective Almost always occurs paired with होना (honaa) or करना (karnaa) rather than as a standalone attributive adjective before a noun.
Synonyms: बर्बाद (barbaad), तबाह (tabaah), खत्म (khatm, informal), विनष्ट (vinasht, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll meet this word constantly in the news and in school textbooks -- फसल नष्ट हो गई (phasal nasht ho gaii, 'the crop was destroyed') is a staple headline during floods or droughts in North India. In casual chat about a ruined day or a broken heart, most Delhi speakers reach for बर्बाद (barbaad) instead, keeping नष्ट (nasht) for a slightly more clinical or official register.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use नष्ट (nasht) alone as a verb; it needs करना (karnaa) (transitive: 'to destroy') or होना (honaa) (intransitive: 'to be destroyed/get destroyed') attached to actually function as an action in a sentence. 2) Confusing नष्ट होना (nasht honaa) with बर्बाद होना (barbaad honaa) -- both work for 'to be ruined,' but नष्ट (nasht) leans more formal/written (used for crops, records, ecosystems, evidence) while बर्बाद (barbaad) is the everyday spoken choice, especially for ruined lives, plans, or relationships.
Sample Sentences:
बाढ़ में हज़ारों एकड़ फसल नष्ट हो गई।
Thousands of acres of crops were destroyed in the flood.
(baadh men hazaaron ekad phasal nasht ho gaii।)
सारे दस्तावेज़ आग में नष्ट हो गए।
All the documents were destroyed in the fire.
(saare dastaavez aag men nasht ho gae।)
अगर बारिश और तेज़ होती तो पूरी फसल नष्ट हो जाती।
If the rain had been any heavier, the entire crop would have been destroyed.
(agar baarish aur tez hotii to poorii phasal nasht ho jaatii।)
सरकार नष्ट फसलों के लिए किसानों को मुआवज़ा देगी।
The government will give farmers compensation for the destroyed crops.
(sarkaar nasht phaslon ke lie kisaanon ko muaavzaa degii।)
पुराने रिकॉर्ड को नष्ट कर दिया गया।
The old records were destroyed.
(puraane rikord ko nasht kar diyaa gayaa।)
कृपया इस फ़ाइल को नष्ट कर दें।
Please have this file destroyed.
(kripyaa is faail ko nasht kar den।)
अत्यधिक नमी से अनाज नष्ट होता रहता है।
Excess moisture keeps destroying the grain.
(atydhik namii se anaaj nasht hotaa rahtaa hai।)
भूकंप के बाद कई इमारतें नष्ट हो चुकी थीं।
After the earthquake, many buildings had already been destroyed.
(bhookamp ke baad kaii imaarten nasht ho chukii thiin।)
विशेषज्ञों को डर है कि यह प्राचीन पांडुलिपि नष्ट हो सकती है।
Experts fear that this ancient manuscript might get destroyed.
(visheshgyon ko dar hai ki yah praachiin paandulipi nasht ho saktii hai।)
टिड्डियों के हमले से पूरा इलाक़ा फसल-विहीन और नष्ट-सा दिखने लगा।
After the locust attack, the whole region began to look crop-less and utterly ruined.
(tiddiyon ke hamle se pooraa ilaaqaa phasal-vihiin aur nasht-saa dikhne lagaa।)
रिपोर्ट के अनुसार तूफ़ान में लाखों का सामान नष्ट हुआ।
According to the report, goods worth lakhs were destroyed in the storm.
(riport ke anusaar toofaan men laakhon kaa saamaan nasht huaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
नष्ट
(nasht)