fast

[ fast, fahst ]

/ fæst, fɑst /

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See synonyms for: fast / faster / fastest / fasting on Thesaurus.com

adjective, fast·er, fast·est.

moving or able to move, operate, function, or take effect quickly; quick; swift; rapid: a fast horse;a fast pain reliever;a fast thinker.

done in comparatively little time; taking a comparatively short time: a fast race;fast work.

(of time)

indicating a time in advance of the correct time, as of a clock.
noting or according to daylight-saving time.

adapted to, allowing, productive of, or imparting rapid movement: a hull with fast lines;one of the fastest pitchers in baseball.

characterized by unrestrained conduct or lack of moral conventions, especially in sexual relations; wanton; loose: Some young people in that era were considered fast, if not downright promiscuous.

characterized by hectic activity: leading a fast life.

resistant: acid-fast.

firmly fixed in place; not easily moved; securely attached.

held or caught firmly, so as to be unable to escape or be extricated: an animal fast in a trap.

firmly tied, as a knot.

closed and made secure, as a door, gate, or shutter.

such as to hold securely: to lay fast hold on a thing.

firm in adherence; loyal; devoted: fast friends.

permanent, lasting, or unchangeable: a fast color;a hard and fast rule.

Informal.

(of money, profits, etc.) made quickly or easily and sometimes deviously: He earned some fast change helping the woman with her luggage.
cleverly quick and manipulative in making money: a fast operator when it comes to closing a business deal.

Photography.

(of a lens) able to transmit a relatively large amount of light in a relatively short time.
(of a film) requiring a relatively short exposure time to attain a given density.

Horse Racing.

(of a track condition) completely dry.
(of a track surface) very hard.

adverb, fast·er, fast·est.

quickly, swiftly, or rapidly.

in quick succession: Events followed fast upon one another to the crisis.

tightly; firmly: to hold fast.

soundly: fast asleep.

in a wild or dissipated way.

ahead of the correct or announced time.

Archaic. close; near: fast by.

noun

a fastening for a door, window, or the like.

OTHER WORDS FOR fast

1, 2 fleet, speedy.

5 dissipated, dissolute, profligate, immoral; wild; prodigal.

8 secure, tight, immovable, firm.

9 inextricable.

13 faithful, steadfast.

14 enduring.

20 securely, fixedly, tenaciously.

22 recklessly, wildly, prodigally.

See synonyms for fast on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR fast

1, 2 slow.

5, 6 restrained.

8 loose.

See antonyms for fast on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about fast

play fast and loose. play (def. 80).

pull a fast one, Informal. to play an unfair trick; practice deceit: He tried to pull a fast one on us by switching the cards.

Origin of fast

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fæst “firm”; cognate with Dutch vast, Old Norse fastr “firm,” German fest; akin to fast²

synonym study for fast

1, 2. See quick.

Other definitions for fast (2 of 3)

fast²

[ fast, fahst ]

/ fæst, fɑst /

verb (used without object)

to abstain from all food.

to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance.

verb (used with object)

to cause to abstain entirely from or limit food; put on a fast: to fast a patient for a day before surgery.

noun

an abstinence from food, or a limiting of one's food, especially when voluntary and as a religious observance; fasting.

a day or period of fasting.

Origin of fast

First recorded before 1000; Middle English fasten, festen, Old English fæstan; cognate with German fasten, Gothic fastan, Old Norse fasta

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

un·fast·ing, adjective

Other definitions for fast (3 of 3)

fast³

[ fast, fahst ]

/ fæst, fɑst /

noun

a chain or rope for mooring a vessel.

Origin of fast

First recorded in 1670–80; alteration, by association with fast¹ (in the sense “firmly tied”), of late Middle English fest “fastening, mooring rope,” from Old Norse festr “mooring rope, cable,” from Old Norse fastr “fixed, firm”; cf. fasten, fast¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fast in a sentence

Asian-Americans are a group of persuadable swing voters, growing faster than any other group in America today.
Asian-Americans Are The New Florida|Tim Mak|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their clear priorities : faster economic growth and promoting upward mobility for the middle and working classes.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats|Joel Kotkin|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eggs, he says, are a good source of cysteine, an amino acid that helps the liver break down alcohol faster.
5 Hangover Cures to Save You After a Few Too Many|DailyBurn|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the most Jewish part of the 6th Annual Latke Festival was that the food went way faster than the liquor.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The 247 was the first airplane really to define the form of a modern airliner, flying faster and higher than any predecessor.
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The clock struck ten, and clerks poured in faster than ever, each one in a greater perspiration than his predecessor.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
She groaned aloud, and her tears flowed faster: Alessandro was making the baby's coffin.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
She walked faster, and would not look at him; but he, in his ignorance, misinterpreted these signs egregiously.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Squinty turned around, standing on the edge of the little brook, and waited, his heart beating faster and faster.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

fast¹

/ (fɑːst) /

adjective

acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; swift

accomplished in or lasting a short timefast work; a fast visit

(prenominal) adapted to or facilitating rapid movementthe fast lane of a motorway

requiring rapidity of action or movementa fast sport

(of a clock, etc) indicating a time in advance of the correct time

given to an active dissipated life

of or characteristic of such activitya fast life

not easily moved; firmly fixed; secure

firmly fastened, secured, or shut

steadfast; constant (esp in the phrase fast friends)

sport (of a playing surface, running track, etc) conducive to rapid speed, as of a ball used on it or of competitors playing or racing on it

that will not fade or change colour readilya fast dye

proof against fadingthe colour is fast to sunlight
(in combination)washfast

photog

requiring a relatively short time of exposure to produce a given densitya fast film
permitting a short exposure timea fast shutter

cricket (of a bowler) characteristically delivering the ball rapidly

informal glib or unreliable; deceptivea fast talker

archaic sound; deepa fast sleep

informal a deceptive or unscrupulous trick (esp in the phrase pull a fast one)

fast worker a person who achieves results quickly, esp in seductions

adverb

quickly; rapidly

soundly; deeplyfast asleep

firmly; tightly

in quick succession

in advance of the correct timemy watch is running fast

in a reckless or dissipated way

fast by or fast beside archaic close or hard by; very near

play fast and loose informal to behave in an insincere or unreliable manner

interjection

archery (said by the field captain to archers) stop shooting!

Word Origin for fast

Old English fæst strong, tight; related to Old High German festi firm, Old Norse fastr

British Dictionary definitions for fast (2 of 2)

fast²

/ (fɑːst) /

verb

(intr) to abstain from eating all or certain foods or meals, esp as a religious observance

noun

an act or period of fasting
(as modifier)a fast day

Derived forms of fast

faster, noun

Word Origin for fast

Old English fæstan; related to Old High German fastēn to fast, Gothic fastan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for fast (1 of 2)

fast 1¹

[ făst ]

adj.

Acting, moving, or being capable of acting or moving quickly.

Accomplished in relatively little time.

Exhibiting resistance to change. Used especially of stained microorganisms that cannot be decolorized.

Firmly fixed or fastened.

Medical definitions for fast (2 of 2)

fast 2²

[ făst ]

To abstain from food.

To eat little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline.

The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food.

A period of such abstention or self-denial.

Other Idioms and Phrases with fast

fast

In addition to the idioms beginning with fast

fast and furious
fast and loose
fast buck
fast lane
fast track

also see:

get nowhere (fast)
hard and fast
pull a fast one
stand one's ground (fast)
thick and fast

fast

OTHER WORDS FOR fast

OPPOSITES FOR fast

Idioms about fast

Origin of fast

synonym study for fast

Other definitions for fast (2 of 3)

Origin of fast

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

Other definitions for fast (3 of 3)

Origin of fast

Words related to fast

How to use fast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

Word Origin for fast

British Dictionary definitions for fast (2 of 2)

Derived forms of fast

Word Origin for fast

Medical definitions for fast (1 of 2)

Medical definitions for fast (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with fast