fast
Other forms: faster; fastest; fasting; fasts; fasted; fastly; fastingly
When you see fast, you might think of Olympic runner Usain "Lightning" Bolt or a Porsche 911 Turbo. Alternatively, and quite confusingly, fast also means to refrain from eating for a certain period, usually for religious reasons.
Fast is another of those deceptively simple words that have a number of other meanings beyond their most common usages. If something "sticks fast" it means it cannot be removed — like a leech or a stain. "To stand fast" means not to give up your point of view or to remain loyal. Then there's also the slang meaning of living beyond the constraints of normal behavior — as in "the fast life," "the fast track," or "the fast lane."
Definitions of fast
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acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly“fast film”“on the fast track in school”“set a fast pace”“a fast car”
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Synonyms:
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accelerated
speeded up, as of an academic course
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alacritous
quick and eager
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blistering, hot, red-hot
very fast; capable of quick response and great speed
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double-quick
(of a marching cadence) very quick
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express
without unnecessary stops
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fast-breaking
occurring rapidly as a series of events in rapid succession
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fast-paced
of communication that proceeds rapidly
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fleet, swift
moving very fast
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high-speed, high-velocity
operating at high speed
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hurrying, scurrying
moving with great haste
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immediate, prompt, quick, straightaway
performed with little or no delay
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instant, instantaneous
occurring with no delay
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meteoric
like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience
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quick, speedy
accomplished rapidly and without delay
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rapid
done or occurring in a brief period of time
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rapid, speedy
characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed
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smart
quick and brisk
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winged
very fast; as if with wings
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windy
resembling the wind in speed, force, or variability
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sudden
happening without warning or in a short space of time
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hurried
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
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Antonyms:
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slow
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
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bumper-to-bumper
used of traffic
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dilatory, laggard, pokey, poky
wasting time
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drawn-out
(used of speech) uttered slowly with prolonged vowels
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lazy
moving slowly and gently
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long-play, long-playing
(used of records) playing at a slower speed and for a longer time than earlier records
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slow-moving
moving slowly
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sluggish, sulky
moving slowly
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gradual
proceeding in small stages
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unhurried
relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste
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glacial
very slow, like the movement of a glacier
- show more antonyms...
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accelerated
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at a rapid tempo“the band played a fast fox trot”
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Synonyms:
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allegro
(of tempo) fast
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allegretto
(of tempo) faster than allegro
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andantino
(of tempo) moderately fast
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presto
(of tempo) very fast
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prestissimo
(of tempo) as fast as possible
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vivace
(of tempo) very fast and lively
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Antonyms:
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slow
at a slow tempo
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adagio
(of tempo) leisurely
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andante
(of tempo) moderately slow
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lento
(of tempo) slow
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lentissimo
(of tempo) very slow
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largo
very slow in tempo and broad in manner
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larghetto
(of tempo) less slow and broad than largo
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larghissimo
(of tempo) as slow and broad as possible
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moderato
(of tempo) moderate
- show more antonyms...
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allegro
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hurried and brief
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(of a photographic lens or emulsion) causing a shortening of exposure time“a fast lens”
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Synonyms:
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causative
producing an effect
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causative
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quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)“how fast can he get here?”“ran as fast as he could”“needs medical help fast”“fast-running rivers”“fast-breaking news”“fast-opening (or fast-closing) shutters”
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securely fixed in place
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resistant to destruction or fading“fast colors”
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Synonyms:
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imperviable, impervious
not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
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imperviable, impervious
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unwavering in devotion to a friend or vow or cause
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firmly or closely
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(used of timepieces) indicating a time ahead of or later than the correct time“my watch is fast”
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Antonyms:
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slow
(used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
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slow
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(of surfaces) conducive to rapid speeds“a fast road”
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Synonyms:
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smooth
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
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smooth
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unrestrained by convention or morality
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synonyms:
debauched, degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, profligate, riotous
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immoral
deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong
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immoral
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abstain from eating
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abstain from certain foods, as for religious or medical reasons
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abstaining from food
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synonyms:
fasting
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types:
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diet, dieting
the act of restricting your food intake (or your intake of particular foods)
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hunger strike
a voluntary fast undertaken as a means of protest
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Ramadan
(Islam) a fast (held from sunrise to sunset) that is carried out during the Islamic month of Ramadan
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type of:
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abstinence
act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite
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diet, dieting
Pronunciation
US
/fæst/
UK
/fɑst/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fast'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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