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
1 Americannoun
fast-food
2
American
[fast-food, fahst-]
/ ˈfæstˈfud, ˈfɑst- /
adjective
fast food
British
noun
adjective
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“They positioned themselves as a cut above traditional fast food, a little bit higher quality,” Mark Kalinowski, a restaurant analyst and CEO of Kalinowski Equity Research, told MarketWatch in August.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
This year, the retail giant teamed up with Subway, Dunkin’, and Papa John’s to offer fast food delivery.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
BBC Reporter Viraj Soni, who is at the scene, has said that marked police cars are parked along the road, which is lined by fast food stores and shops.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Coke could steal a big contract from its rival, cutting Pepsi’s reach in fast food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
We’d trekked through auditoriums all over the country, eaten more fast food than we ever wanted to, and shown up for fancy fund-raisers at homes so opulent we’d had to actively keep ourselves from gawking.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Chipotle’s stock is down 22.4% so far this year, as the chain tries to stand out among a sea of discounts and promos from sit-down restaurants and fast-food chains.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
However, the stock is still down 15.1% so far this year, as cost-conscious consumers shy away from dining out and the company struggles to keep up in the fast-food burger wars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Shares for the fast-food chain have slid 50% this year as its sales sag.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Starbucks and other coffee chains have for years offered novelty cold drinks to generate sales, and now fast-food brands are seeking to do the same.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
We roll past the gas station and the fast-food joints and bump across the median into a parking lot.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
