Definition of 'fast'
Word forms: comparative faster
, superlative fastest
, plural, 3rd person singular present tense fasts
, present participle fasting
, past tense, past participle fasted
1. adjective
Fast means happening, moving, or doing something at great speed. You also use fast in questions or statements about speed.
Fast is also an adverb.
3. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If a watch or clock is fast, it is showing a time that is later than the real time.
4.
See to hold fast
5. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
6. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If colours or dyes are fast, they do not come out of the fabrics they are used on when they get wet.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
8. verb
If you fast, you eat no food for a period of time, usually for either religious or medical reasons,
or as a protest.
9.
See fast asleep
10.
11.
13. fast lane
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
You may also like
Word Frequency
fast in British English 1
adjective
1.
acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; swift
4.
requiring rapidity of action or movement
a fast sport
5.
(of a clock, etc) indicating a time in advance of the correct time
6.
given to an active dissipated life
7.
of or characteristic of such activity
a fast life
8.
not easily moved; firmly fixed; secure
11. 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
14. photography
17. archaic
sound; deep
a fast sleep
19. See fast worker
adverb
20.
quickly; rapidly
21.
soundly; deeply
fast asleep
22.
firmly; tightly
23.
in quick succession
24.
in advance of the correct time
my watch is running fast
25.
in a reckless or dissipated way
26. See fast by
27. See play fast and loose
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English fæst strong, tight; related to Old High German festi firm, Old Norse fastrWord Frequency
fast in British English 2
verb
1. (intransitive)
to abstain from eating all or certain foods or meals, esp as a religious observance
noun
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
faster (ˈfaster) noun
Word origin
Old English fæstan; related to Old High German fastēn to fast, Gothic fastanWord Frequency
fast in American English 1
adjective
2.
firmly fastened or shut
make the shutters fast
4.
that will not fade
fast colors
5.
rapid in movement or action; swift; quick; speedy
6.
permitting or facilitating swift movement
a fast highway
7.
taking or lasting a short time
a fast lunch
10. US, Informal
glib and deceptive
a fast talker
11. Slang
acting, gotten, done, etc. quickly and often dishonestly
out for a fast buck
13. Photography
adapted to or allowing very short exposure time
a fast lens, fast film
14. Dialectal
complete; sound
a fast sleep
adverb
15.
firmly; fixedly
16.
thoroughly; soundly
fast asleep
17.
rapidly; swiftly; quickly; speedily
18.
ahead of time
19.
in a reckless, dissipated way; wildly
20. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic, Obsolete
close; near
fast by the river
noun
Idioms:
SYNONYMY NOTE: fast1, rapid are generally interchangeable in expressing the idea of a relatively high rate of
movement or action, but fast1 more often refers to the person or thing that moves or acts, and rapid to the action [a fast typist, rapid transcription]; swift implies great rapidity, but in addition often connotes smooth, easy movement; fleet2 suggests a nimbleness or lightness in that which moves swiftly; quick implies promptness of action, or occurrence in a brief space of time, rather than
velocity [a quick reply]; speedy intensifies the idea of quickness, but may also connote high velocity [a speedy recovery, a speedy flight]; hasty suggests hurried action and may connote carelessness, rashness, or impatience OPPOSITE: slow
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OE fæst, akin to Ger fest, firm, stable < IE base *pasto-, fixed, secure > Arm hastWord Frequency
fast in American English 2
verb intransitive
1.
to abstain from all or certain foods, as in observing a holy day
2.
to eat very little or nothing
noun
3.
the act of fasting
4.
a day or period of fasting
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
fast in American English 1
(fæst, fɑːst) (adjective -er, -est, adverb -er, -est)
adjective
1.
moving or able to move, operate, function, or take effect quickly; quick; swift; rapid
a fast horse
a fast pain reliever
a fast thinker
2.
done in comparatively little time; taking a comparatively short time
a fast race
fast work
3. (of time)
a.
indicating a time in advance of the correct time, as of a clock
b.
noting or according to daylight-saving time
4.
adapted to, allowing, productive of, or imparting rapid movement
a hull with fast lines
one of the fastest pitchers in baseball
5.
characterized by unrestrained conduct or lack of moral conventions, esp. in sexual relations; wanton; loose
Some young people in that era were considered fast, if not downright promiscuous
7.
resistant
acid-fast
8.
firmly fixed in place; not easily moved; securely attached
12.
such as to hold securely
to lay fast hold on a thing
13.
firm in adherence; loyal; devoted
fast friends
15. informal
a. (of money, profits, etc.)
made quickly or easily and sometimes deviously
He earned some fast change helping the woman with her luggage
b.
cleverly quick and manipulative in making money
a fast operator when it comes to closing a business deal
16. Photography
a. (of a lens)
able to transmit a relatively large amount of light in a relatively short time
17. Horse Racing
a. (of a track condition)
completely dry
b. (of a track surface)
very hard
18. See pull a fast one
adverb
SYNONYMS 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. 21. securely, fixedly, tenaciously. 23. recklessly, wildly, prodigally.ANTONYMS 1, 2. slow. 5, 6. restrained. 8. loose.19.
quickly, swiftly, or rapidly
20.
in quick succession
Events followed fast upon one another to the crisis
21.
tightly; firmly
to hold fast
22.
soundly
fast asleep
23.
in a wild or dissipated way
24.
ahead of the correct or announced time
25. archaic
close; near
fast by
26. See play fast and loose
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME; OE fæst firm; c. D vast, ON fastr firm, G fest; akin to fast2]Word Frequency
fast in American English 2
(fæst, fɑːst)
intransitive verb
1.
to abstain from all food
2.
to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, esp. as a religious observance
transitive verb
3.
to cause to abstain entirely from or limit food; put on a fast
to fast a patient for a day before surgery
noun
4.
an abstinence from food, or a limiting of one's food, esp. when voluntary and as a religious observance; fasting
5.
a day or period of fasting
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 1000; ME fasten, OE fæstan; c. G fasten, Goth fastan, ON fasta]Word Frequency
fast in American English 3
(fæst, fɑːst)
noun
a chain or rope for mooring a vessel
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1670–80; alter., by assoc. with fast1, of late ME fest, perh. n. use of fest, ptp. of festen to fasten, or ‹ ON festr mooring rope]Examples of 'fast' in a sentence
fast
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In other languages
fast
British English: fast
/fɑːst/ ADJECTIVE
Fast means happening, moving, or doing something at great speed. You also use fast in questions or statements about speed.
...fast cars with flashing lights and sirens.
- American English: fast /ˈfæst/
- Arabic: سَرِيع
- Brazilian Portuguese: rápido
- Chinese: 快速的
- Croatian: brz
- Czech: rychlý
- Danish: hurtig
- Dutch: snel
- European Spanish: rápido
- Finnish: nopea
- French: rapide
- German: schnell
- Greek: γρήγορος
- Italian: veloce
- Japanese: 速い
- Korean: 빠른
- Norwegian: hurtig
- Polish: szybki
- European Portuguese: rápido
- Romanian: rapid
- Russian: быстрый
- Latin American Spanish: rápido
- Swedish: snabb
- Thai: เร็ว
- Turkish: hızlı
- Ukrainian: швидкий
- Vietnamese: nhanh
British English: fast
/fɑːst/ ADVERB
You use fast to say that something happens without any delay.
When you've got a crisis like this you need professional help – fast!
- American English: fast /ˈfæst/
- Arabic: بِسُرْعَة
- Brazilian Portuguese: rapidamente
- Chinese: 很快地
- Croatian: brzo
- Czech: rychle
- Danish: hurtigt
- Dutch: snel
- European Spanish: deprisa
- Finnish: nopeasti
- French: vite
- German: schnell
- Greek: γρήγορα
- Italian: velocemente
- Japanese: 速く
- Korean: 빨리
- Norwegian: fort
- Polish: szybko
- European Portuguese: rapidamente
- Romanian: repede
- Russian: быстро
- Latin American Spanish: deprisa
- Swedish: snabbt
- Thai: อย่างรวดเร็ว
- Turkish: hızlı
- Ukrainian: швидко
- Vietnamese: nhanh
British English: fast
VERB /fɑːst/
If you fast, you eat no food for a period of time, usually for either religious or medical reasons, or as a protest.
I fasted for a day and a half and prayed.
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fast
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Definition of fast from the Collins English Dictionary
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