fast

[ fast, fahst ]

/ fæst, fɑst /

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.

Idioms for 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

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

SYNONYMS FOR fast

1, 2 fleet, speedy. See quick.

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

ANTONYMS FOR fast

1, 2 slow.

5, 6 restrained.

8 loose.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR fast ON THESAURUS.COM

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fast

fast quick rapid swift (see synonym study at quick)

Words nearby fast

fashiony, fashoda, fasnacht, fassa, fassbinder, fast, fast and furious, fast and loose, fast break, fast buck, fast casual

Definition for fast (2 of 3)

fast ²

[ 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

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

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

un·fast·ing, adjective

Definition for fast (3 of 3)

fast ³

[ fast, fahst ]

/ fæst, fɑst /

noun

a chain or rope for mooring a vessel.

Origin of fast

1670–80; alteration, by association with fast¹, of late Middle English fest, perhaps noun use of fest, past participle of festen to fasten, or < Old Norse festr mooring rope

Example sentences from the Web for fast

The focus here was on how fast oil would come out of the Canadian fields.

Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4 |PunditFact.com |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Both high fashion and the fast, commercial fashion of Target are supposed to be about aspiration.

One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem |Danielle Belton |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
And if people find themselves dissatisfied with how often they turn to fast food, Bacon says to try things like batch cooking.

Why Your New Year’s Diet Will Fail |Carrie Arnold |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I think it all happened so fast for Sony that they were trying to regroup.

The Inside Story of How Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Finally Made It to Theaters |Marlow Stern |December 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

High flying and fast, the F-22 Raptor stealth jet is by far the most lethal fighter America has ever built.

Pentagon Worries That Russia Can Now Outshoot U.S. Stealth Jets |Dave Majumdar |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It's a very old song now, and bring us as fast as you can to the castle and the marriage.

Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 366, April, 1846 |Various
"I was somewhere about this spot when the half-hour struck last night, for your clocks were fast," remarked Rupert.

Trevlyn Hold |Mrs. Henry Wood
Lucy's pathetic tones, which were fast degenerating into sobs, were agreeably interrupted.

Love Me Little, Love Me Long |Charles Reade
She told me to be quiet and have courage and all would be well and that I must get well as fast as possible.

A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons |Elizabeth Whitney Williams
The day appointed for sailing was fast approaching, and had to make all speed to get through various engagements in Manilla.

Kathay: A Cruise in the China Seas |W. Hastings Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

fast ¹

/ (fɑːst) /

adjective

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

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

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

requiring rapidity of action or movement a 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 activity a 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 readily a 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; deceptive a fast talker

archaic sound; deep a 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; deeply fast asleep

firmly; tightly

in quick succession

in advance of the correct time my 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)

fast ²

/ (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

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fast

adjective, fast·er, fast·est.

adverb, fast·er, fast·est.

noun

Idioms for fast

Origin of fast

SYNONYMS FOR fast

ANTONYMS FOR fast

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fast

Words nearby fast

Definition for fast (2 of 3)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of fast

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

Definition for fast (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of fast

Example sentences from the Web for fast

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

adjective

adverb

interjection

Word Origin for fast

British Dictionary definitions for fast (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of fast

Word Origin for fast

Idioms and Phrases with fast

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fast

adjective, fast·er, fast·est.

adverb, fast·er, fast·est.

noun

Idioms for fast

Origin of fast

SYNONYMS FOR fast

ANTONYMS FOR fast

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fast

Words nearby fast

Definition for fast (2 of 3)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of fast

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

Definition for fast (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of fast

Words related to fast

Example sentences from the Web for fast

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

adjective

adverb

interjection

Word Origin for fast

British Dictionary definitions for fast (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of fast

Word Origin for fast

Idioms and Phrases with fast