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.
An Americanism dating back to 1965–70
An Americanism dating back to 1965–70
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The party also wants an annual "national action day" to help "rekindle civic pride" and more action to tackle littering connected to fast food outlets.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Videos and images showed buildings collapsing, including a clip of a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
It’s quite thinkable to eat fast food in a car in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Trump often boasts about his health, saying that he is far fitter than previous presidents despite his weight and a love of fast food.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Mom says it’s cheaper, and less mess to clean, to eat fast food.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
After leaving a club, the men crossed paths with the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, at a fast-food restaurant and they all went to the beach.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Cornell's research, meanwhile, found an 8% decline in spending at fast-food chains and coffee shops.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The City Council voted to allow fast-food chains in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The video featured a manager from one of Palantir’s private customers, Wendy’s, explaining how the same digital system helps the fast-food chain manage its inventory of Thin Mints-flavored Frosty mix across its restaurants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Even the fast-food joints in my neighborhood had a two-year waiting list for job applicants.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
