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• fast food
  fast food

  noun

  food, as hamburgers, pizza, or fried chicken, that is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere.
• fast-food
  fast-food

  adjective

  of or specializing in fast food.

fast food

¹ American  

noun

1. food, as hamburgers, pizza, or fried chicken, that is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere.

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fast-food ² American  

[fast-food, fahst-] / ˈfæstˈfud, ˈfɑst- /

adjective

1. of or specializing in fast food.

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fast food British  

noun

1. food that requires little preparation before being served

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adjective

1. (of a restaurant, café, etc) serving such food

Usage

​What does fast food mean?​ Fast food is food quickly prepared and served, often at chain restaurants and typically associated with less expensive and less nutritious items like hamburgers, french fries, and soft drinks.

Etymology

Origin of fast food¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Origin of fast-food²

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fast food fast-food

Despite outperforming other fast food chains and posting impressive same-store sales, the Mexican-inspired chain Taco Bell has taken a hit after being linked to Cyclospora.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

DIY store B&Q and the fast food chain Five Guys are among hundreds of UK businesses named by the government for paying staff below the minimum wage.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Less than three weeks later, Americans began experimenting with another way fast food might carry meaning.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

Historically, chicken was a bit of an afterthought in fast food.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

There are candy wrappers, receipts, fast food bags, and papers all over.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

By the time federal agencies were still publicly trying to identify the source of the outbreak, the fast-food chain had already started taking food off its menus.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of lettuce sourced from central Mexico, while the US fast-food chain Taco Bell said it has removed lettuce from the supplier from its menu.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Inspire Brands has named the head of its Dunkin’ division as interim chief executive, an abrupt leadership change that comes while the fast-food giant prepares for an initial public offering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

The council’s vote Tuesday, which directs the city attorney to draft language extending such protections to workers in the fast-food industry, was approved 10 to 2, with Councilmembers John Lee and Traci Park opposed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

It wasn’t a fast-food restaurant like I’d hoped.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan