सुस्त (sust)
adjective
An everyday adjective describing sluggishness -- used for a person's low energy or mood, and just as often for a slow market, slow business, or a sluggish machine/internet connection.
Sense
1
:
lethargic, sluggish (of a person)
adjective
Synonyms: आलसी (aalsii), निढाल (nidhaal, drained/limp), ढीला (dhiilaa, colloquial)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Delhi's muggy pre-monsoon afternoons are the classic setting for this word -- you'll hear लोग सुस्त हो जाते हैं (log sust ho jaate hain, 'people get sluggish') as an explanation for why nothing gets done between 2 and 5 pm. It pairs naturally with होना (honaa) and लगना (lagnaa), as in तबीयत सुस्त लग रही है (tabiiyat sust lag rahii hai, 'I'm feeling low/off').
Common Mistakes: 1) सुस्त (sust) describes a temporary or habitual lack of energy, not moral laziness -- for someone who habitually avoids work, आलसी (aalsii) is often the sharper word. 2) Learners often reach for थका हुआ (thakaa huaa, tired) when they mean सुस्त (sust) -- थका हुआ (thakaa huaa) is tiredness from exertion, while सुस्त (sust) is a general dullness of mood or body that may have no clear cause, like feeling groggy on a humid afternoon.
Sample Sentences:
आज मौसम की वजह से मैं बहुत सुस्त महसूस कर रहा हूँ।
Because of the weather today, I'm feeling really lethargic.
(aaj mausam kii vajah se main bahut sust mahsoos kar rahaa hoon।)
दोपहर की गर्मी में लोग सुस्त हो जाते हैं।
People get sluggish in the afternoon heat.
(dopahar kii garmii men log sust ho jaate hain।)
मेरी तबीयत सुस्त लग रही है, आज दफ्तर नहीं जाऊँगा।
I'm feeling a bit off, I won't go to office today.
(merii tabiiyat sust lag rahii hai, aaj daphtar nahiin jaaoongaa।)
कल रात ठीक से नींद न आने के कारण वह पूरे दिन सुस्त रहा।
Since he didn't sleep well last night, he stayed lethargic the whole day.
(kal raat thiik se niind n aane ke kaaran vah poore din sust rahaa।)
इतना सुस्त मत बनो, थोड़ा उठो और काम करो।
Don't be so lazy, get up and do some work.
(itnaa sust mat bano, thodaa utho aur kaam karo।)
अगर वह इतना सुस्त न होता तो अब तक अपना काम पूरा कर चुका होता।
If he weren't so lethargic, he would have finished his work by now.
(agar vah itnaa sust n hotaa to ab tak apnaa kaam pooraa kar chukaa hotaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि अगर आप हमेशा सुस्त महसूस करें तो जाँच करवा लें।
The doctor said that if you always feel lethargic, you should get a check-up done.
(doktar ne kahaa ki agar aap hameshaa sust mahsoos karen to jaanch karvaa len।)
शायद वह सुस्त हो, इसलिए आज जल्दी उठकर तैयार नहीं हुआ।
Maybe he was feeling lethargic, that's why he wasn't ready after getting up early today.
(shaayad vah sust ho, islie aaj jaldii uthkar taiyaar nahiin huaa।)
उमस भरी दोपहरों में मेरी सुस्ती इतनी बढ़ जाती है कि कुछ भी करने का मन नहीं करता।
On muggy afternoons my sluggishness increases so much that I don't feel like doing anything at all.
(umas bharii dopahron men merii sustii itnii badh jaatii hai ki kuchh bhii karne kaa man nahiin kartaa।)
बच्चे को बुखार के बाद कई दिनों तक सुस्त देखा गया।
The child was seen to be lethargic for several days after the fever.
(bachche ko bukhaar ke baad kaii dinon tak sust dekhaa gayaa।)
क्या तुम आजकल कुछ सुस्त हो? पहले जैसी फुर्ती नहीं दिखती।
Are you feeling a bit lethargic these days? You don't seem as energetic as before.
(kyaa tum aajkal kuchh sust ho? pahle jaisii phurtii nahiin dikhtii।)
Sense
2
:
slow, dull (of markets, business, machines, pace)
adjective
Synonyms: मंदा (mandaa, of markets/business), धीमा (dhiimaa, of speed/pace)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Shopkeepers use it constantly about trade: बाज़ार सुस्त है (baazaar sust hai, 'the market is slack/dull') is a stock phrase you'll hear during off-season lulls, echoing the same core idea of low energy applied to commerce rather than a person.
Common Mistakes: 1) For internet or a slow-loading computer, सुस्त (sust) is very natural in casual speech -- e.g. इंटरनेट सुस्त है (intarnet sust hai, 'the internet is slow') -- learners often default to धीमा (dhiimaa) only, but सुस्त (sust) is equally common and sounds more colloquial.
Sample Sentences:
आज बाज़ार बहुत सुस्त है।
The market is very dull today.
(aaj baazaar bahut sust hai।)
बरसात के मौसम में कपड़ों का धंधा सुस्त पड़ जाता है।
During the monsoon season, the clothing business turns sluggish.
(barsaat ke mausam men kapdon kaa dhandhaa sust pad jaataa hai।)
पिछले महीने शेयर बाज़ार बहुत सुस्त रहा।
Last month the stock market remained quite sluggish.
(pichhle mahiine sheyar baazaar bahut sust rahaa।)
अगर ब्याज दरें बढ़ीं, तो रियल एस्टेट बाज़ार और सुस्त हो जाएगा।
If interest rates rise, the real estate market will become even more sluggish.
(agar byaaj daren badhiin, to riyal estet baazaar aur sust ho jaaegaa।)
यह पुरानी मशीन बहुत सुस्त हो गई है, नई ले आओ।
This old machine has become very sluggish, bring a new one.
(yah puraanii mashiin bahut sust ho gaii hai, naii le aao।)
त्योहारों के बाद बाज़ार सुस्त हो जाता है।
The market goes dull after the festivals.
(tyohaaron ke baad baazaar sust ho jaataa hai।)
अर्थव्यवस्था की सुस्त रफ़्तार पर विशेषज्ञ चिंतित हैं।
Experts are worried about the sluggish pace of the economy.
(arthavyvasthaa kii sust raftaar par visheshagy chintit hain।)
काश इंटरनेट इतना सुस्त न होता, तो काम जल्दी हो जाता।
If only the internet wasn't so sluggish, the work would have gotten done quickly.
(kaash intarnet itnaa sust n hotaa, to kaam jaldii ho jaataa।)
इस साल निर्यात व्यापार सुस्त बना हुआ है।
The export trade has remained sluggish this year.
(is saal niryaat vyaapaar sust banaa huaa hai।)
दुकानदार बोला, बाज़ार सुस्त है, आज कुछ खास बिक्री नहीं हुई।
The shopkeeper said, the market is slack, there wasn't much sales today.
(dukaandaar bolaa, baazaar sust hai, aaj kuchh khaas bikrii nahiin huii।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
सुस्त
(sust)
(pl.m):
सुस्ते
(suste)
(sg.f):
सुस्ती
(sustii)
(pl.f):
सुस्ती
(sustii)