fast
fast [fast fasts fasted fasting faster fastest] adjective, adverb, verb, noun BrE [fɑːst] NAmE [fæst]
adjective (fast·er, fast·est)
QUICK
1. moving or able to move quickly
•a fast car/horse
•the world's fastest runner
2. happening in a short time or without delay
•the fastest rate of increase for years
•a fast response time
3. able to do sth quickly
•a fast learner
SURFACE
4. producing or allowing quick movement
•a fast road/pitch
see also ↑fast lane
WATCH/CLOCK
5. not before noun showing a time later than the true time
• I'm early— my watch must be fast.
• That clock's ten minutes fast.
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM
6. (technical)very sensitive to light, and therefore useful when taking photographs in poor light or of sth that is moving very quickly
FIRMLY FIXED
7. (of a boat, etc.)firmly fixed and safe
•He made the boat fast.
COLOURS IN CLOTHES
8. not likely to change or to come out when washed There is no noun related to fast. Use speed in connection with vehicles, actions, etc; quickness is used about thinking.
more at make a fast/quick buck at ↑buck n., be quick/fast on the draw at ↑draw n., hard and fast at ↑hard adj., pull a fast one at ↑pull v.
Word Origin:
adj. and adv. Old English fæst ‘firmly fixed, steadfast’ fæste ‘firmly’ Germanic Dutch vast German fest ‘firm, solid’ fast ‘almost’ Middle English ‘strongly, vigorously’ run hard ‘close, immediate’ fast by hard by ‘closely, immediately’ ‘quickly’ v. and n. Old English fæstan Germanic Dutch vasten German fasten fasta
Thesaurus:
fast adj.
•She loves driving fast cars.
quick • • rapid • • brisk • • swift • • high-speed • • express • • supersonic • • speedy • • hurried • |often disapproving hasty •
Opp: slow
be fast/quick at doing sth
a fast/quick/rapid/brisk/swift movement/pace
a fast/quick reader/worker/learner/rhythm
a/an fast/high-speed/express train/link
Fast or quick? Use fast to talk about travelling:
•a fast road/car
✗ a quick road/car A person may be fast or quick, but fast is not used in expressions where sb does sth in a short time:
•a fast/quick reader/runner/learner
• The kids were quick to learn.
✗ The kids were fast to learn.
Synonyms:
fast / quick / rapid
These adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:
Fast is used especially to describe a person or thing that moves or is able to move at great speed.
Quick is more often used to describe something that is done in a short time or without delay.
Rapid, swift and speedy are more formal words.
Rapid is most commonly used to describe the speed at which something changes. It is not used to describe the speed at which something moves or is done: a rapid train ◇ We had a rapid coffee.
Swift usually describes something that happens or is done quickly and immediately: ▪ a swift decision ◇ ▪ The government took swift action.
Speedy has a similar meaning: ▪ a speedy recovery. It is used less often to talk about the speed at which something moves: a speedy car.
For the use of fast and quick as adverbs, see the usage note at ↑quick.
Example Bank:
•Her pulse seemed very fast.
•I should make a very fast profit on these.
•I suppose delivery in two days is pretty fast, really.
•Are you a fast reader with the ability to retain the key points?
•He's just become the world's fastest runner.
•It's a very fast road and people do not realize what speed they are doing.
•She loves driving fast cars.
•These are complex programs needing very large and fast computers.
•We can guarantee a fast response time.
•We've recorded the fastest rate of increase for several years.
Idioms: ↑as fast as your legs can carry you ▪ ↑fast and furious ▪ ↑fast talker ▪ ↑fast worker ▪ ↑hold fast to something ▪ ↑play fast and loose ▪ ↑stand fast
adverb (fast·er, fast·est)
QUICKLY
1. quickly
• Don't drive so fast!
• How fast were you going?
•I can't go any faster.
•The water was rising fast.
•Her heart beat faster.
• (formal)Night was fast approaching.
•a fast-flowing stream
2. in a short time; without delay
• Children grow up so fast these days.
• Britain is fast becoming a nation of fatties.
•The police said that they had reacted as fast as they could.
FIRMLY
3. firmly; completely
• Within a few minutes she was fast asleep (= sleeping deeply).
• The boat was stuck fast (= unable to move) in the mud. There is no noun related to fast. Use speed in connection with vehicles, actions, etc; quickness is used about thinking.
more at thick and fast at ↑thick adv.
Word Origin:
adj. and adv. Old English fæst ‘firmly fixed, steadfast’ fæste ‘firmly’ Germanic Dutch vast German fest ‘firm, solid’ fast ‘almost’ Middle English ‘strongly, vigorously’ run hard ‘close, immediate’ fast by hard by ‘closely, immediately’ ‘quickly’ v. and n. Old English fæstan Germanic Dutch vasten German fasten fasta
Example Bank:
•Don't drive so fast!
•I can't go any faster.
•He came round the corner blindingly fast.
verb intransitive
to eat little or no food for a period of time, especially for religious or health reasons
• Muslims fast during Ramadan.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
adj. and adv. Old English fæst ‘firmly fixed, steadfast’ fæste ‘firmly’ Germanic Dutch vast German fest ‘firm, solid’ fast ‘almost’ Middle English ‘strongly, vigorously’ run hard ‘close, immediate’ fast by hard by ‘closely, immediately’ ‘quickly’ v. and n. Old English fæstan Germanic Dutch vasten German fasten fasta
Example Bank:
•During Ramadan they fast from sunrise to sunset.
noun
a period during which you do not eat food, especially for religious or health reasons
•to go on a fast
•to break (= end) your fast
Word Origin:
adj. and adv. Old English fæst ‘firmly fixed, steadfast’ fæste ‘firmly’ Germanic Dutch vast German fest ‘firm, solid’ fast ‘almost’ Middle English ‘strongly, vigorously’ run hard ‘close, immediate’ fast by hard by ‘closely, immediately’ ‘quickly’ v. and n. Old English fæstan Germanic Dutch vasten German fasten fasta
Example Bank:
•All members of the religious community keep these fasts.
•In the evening the people break their fast.
•He observes the fast of Ramadan.
•In Cyprus this soup is served on Easter morning to break the long Lenten fast.
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