zkáze

Zkáze is a Czech term associated with destruction or ruin. The base noun is zkáza; zkáze is one of its inflected forms used in specific grammatical cases such as the dative or locative in standard Czech. The word is commonly encountered in literary, historical, and religious contexts to convey the idea of ruin, collapse, or calamity.

In literature, zkáze can function as both a concrete descriptor of a catastrophic event and as a personified force representing fate or divine judgment. It appears in poetry and prose to mark catastrophe, decline, or the moral consequences of actions. In religious or prophetic writing, the term may be employed to describe judgments, apocalyptic scenarios, or the downfall of cities and empires.

Usage notes: phrases like “před zkáze” (before destruction) are idiomatic in Czech. The form zkáze is typically part of larger noun phrases rather than a standalone concept in contemporary prose, where the base noun zkáza is more commonly used to express destruction in general terms.

See also: Zkáza; Destruction in Czech literature; Apocalyptic literature.