# श्रेष्ठ
## Hindi
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Delhi) IPA: /ʃɾeːʂʈʰ/
* Rhymes: -eːʂʈʰ
* Hyphenation: श्रेष्ठ

### Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śreṣṭh) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling سَرِیشْٹھ)
* excellent, high-quality, best
    Synonyms: आला (ālā), उत्तम (uttam)

#### Derived terms

* श्रेष्ठतम (śreṣṭhatam)
* श्रेष्ठता (śreṣṭhatā)
* सर्वश्रेष्ठ (sarvaśreṣṭh)

### References

* ↑ “श्रेष्ठ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.

## Nepali
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [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: /ɕɾɐ́jʂ.ʈʰɐ/, /ɕɾɐ́.jiʂ.ʈʰɐ/
* (Classical Sanskrit) IPA: /ɕɾeːʂ.ʈʰɐ/

### Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (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

* ¹Vedic
* ¹Vedic
* ²Brāhmaṇas
* ¹Vedic

#### Related terms

* श्रेयस् (śréyas)

#### Descendants

* Pali: seṭṭha
** → Khmer: សេដ្ឋ (seetthaʼ)
** → Thai: เศรษฐ (sèet-tà-)
* Prakrit: 𑀲𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀞 (siṭṭha)
* → 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 (śreshṭha)
* → Punjabi: ਸ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ (sreśaṭh)
* → Telugu: శ్రేష్ఠము (śrēṣṭhamu)