fast lane

American  

[fast layn] / ˈfæst ˌleɪn /

noun

1. Also called express lane. the lane of a multilane roadway that is used by fast-moving vehicles, as when passing slower traffic.

2. Informal. any scene, activity, or pursuit that is exciting, high-pressured, competitive, swift-moving, and sometimes dissipated or dangerous.

   Alcoholism and stress are often the price for living life in the fast lane.

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fast lane British  

noun

1. the outside lane on a motorway or dual carriageway for vehicles overtaking or travelling at high speed

2. informal the quickest but most competitive route to success

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fast lane Idioms  

1. Also, life in the fast lane. A lifestyle that involves free spending and self-indulgence, and sometimes also dissipation and danger. For example, They're finding that life in the fast lane can be very stressful. This term alludes to the highway express lane used by faster vehicles to pass slower ones. [Colloquial; c. 1970] Also see fast track.

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Etymology

Origin of fast lane

First recorded in 1965–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fast lane

For now, they should stay in the fast lane.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“AI in the fast lane, Middle East in the slow lane.”

From Barron's ● May 8, 2026

She said the last time she drove in the rain, she was in the fast lane when a car on the opposite side of the freeway splashed water on her windshield, temporarily blocking her view.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2025

When it comes to encouraging customers to invest for the long haul or live in the fast lane, Rick Wurster says he knows where his brokerage stands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

Speeding down this fast lane, Homo sapiens soon far outstripped all other human and animal species in its ability to cooperate.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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