From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfastfast1 /fɑːst $ fæst/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective 1 FAST/QUICKmoving quickly moving or able to move quickly a fast car He’s one of the fastest runners in the world.2 in a short timeSHORT TIME doing something or happening in a short time The subway is the fastest way to get downtown. The company must give a faster response to clients’ requests. The rain forests are being chopped down at an alarmingly fast rate. I’m a fast learner.3 clock [not before noun]TIME/RIGHT OR WRONG TIME a clock that is fast shows a later time than the real time That can’t be the time – my watch must be fast.five minutes/an hour etc fast I always keep my watch 15 minutes fast.4 → fast track5 → fast road6 → fast film/lens7 colourDHC a colour that is fast will not change when clothes are washed → colourfast8 sportsDSFAST/QUICK a fast surface is one on which a ball moves very quickly9 → fast and furious10 → somebody is a fast worker11 → fast talker12 woman old-fashionedSY becoming involved quickly in sexual relationships with men fast cars and fast women13 → fast friends → fast food, fast-forward, fast lane, → make a fast buck at buck1(1), → pull a fast one at pull1(10)THESAURUSfast moving or able to move quicklyThe cheetah is the fastest animal in the world.a fast carquick moving fast or doing something in a short timeHe was much quicker than I was over the first 100 metres.Do I have time for a quick shower?high-speed [only before noun] designed to travel or operate very quicklya high-speed trainhigh-speed Internet accessrapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etca rapid increase in the populationthe rapid expansion of the firm’s business in the Middle Easta rapid decline in profits swift written moving quickly or happening after only a short timeThe horses ran along the track at a swift trot.He received a swift response to his letter.brisk quick and energetica brisk walk in the countrysideHis manner was very brisk.speedy [only before noun] happening after only a short timeEveryone wishes you a speedy recovery.a speedy resolution to the problemhurried done more quickly than usual, because you do not have much timeShe ate a hurried breakfast in the cafe before catching her train.We made a hurried departure.hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad resultsIt was a hasty decision, which he later regretted.Let’s not be too hasty.
Examples from the Corpus
fast• Is it really 6:45, or is my watch fast?• The new convertible is fast and fun to drive.• The first pitch was fast and hard.• Boeing's new plane is faster and more luxurious than anything else they have ever produced.• Some in disbelief that a car so beautiful, so fast and so downright delicious could cost as little as £27,000.• Despite its size, the buffalo is a very fast animal and can run up to thirty-five miles per hour.• But I am not as fast as he is.• When I was a kid, I was the fastest boy in my class.• Dean always loved fast cars and expensive clothes.• Other volunteers want to become fast friends and cultural advisers.• Nevertheless, when moral considerations made a fast imperative, his body had no veto.• I'm a pretty fast reader.• We hope Arlene will make a fast recovery.• One man's fast response saved a heart-attack victim's life.• I keep the clock five minutes fast, so I won't be late.• Rosa caught the fast train to London.• Training for speed must work repeatedly on the fast twitch fibres on a stop - go basis.fastfast2 ●●● S2 W3 adverb 1 moving quicklyFAST/QUICK moving quickly Slow down – you’re driving too fast. a fast-moving river Johnny ran off as fast as his legs could carry him (=running as quickly as he could).► see thesaurus at quickly2 SHORT TIMEin a short time happening in a short time Kids grow up fast these days. The survivors needed help fast. How fast can you get the job done?fast becoming/disappearing/approaching etc Access to the Internet is fast becoming a necessity. It all happened so fast I didn’t even notice I was bleeding.3 → fast asleep4 → be stuck/held fast5 → be getting/be going nowhere fast6 → not so fast7 → make something fast8 → fast by something → play fast and loose with somebody at play1(32), → stand fast at stand1(25), → thick and fast at thick2(2)Examples from the Corpus
fast• At which Stour realised suddenly that he was the one who must act, and fast.• The growth of the plants from tubercles treated in this manner is then very fast.• The tiny device shocks the heart into normal rhythm when it beats too fast.• Burglars work fast.• She walked faster and faster, then started to run.• He ran home as fast as he could.• He must complete his mission and leave as fast as possible.• The new fighter aircraft flies almost twice as fast as the old one.• They ran off as fast as their legs would carry them.• Prices aren't rising as fast as they were a year ago.• We're working as fast as we can.• The spare tyre on the back of the Jeep was held fast by three strong bolts.• It felt too fast for me.• a fast-growing community• Don't talk so fast - I can't understand what you're saying.• The front of the boat was stuck fast in the mud.• Don't drive so fast - there's ice on the road.• The car was going pretty fast when it went off the road.as fast as ... legs could carry• I ignored his command and took off after him, racing along as fast as my legs could carry me.fast becoming/disappearing/approaching etc• It takes an intellectually open environment and an entrepreneurial edge to produce the kind of place that Bangalore is fast becoming.• She was, of course, keenly interested in cinema, and her White House film festival was fast approaching.• The prospect of censure intensified what, for Galileo, was fast becoming a dilemma.• These historic opportunities are fast disappearing for our community.• The hedge was fast approaching, looking too big, far too big for Buttons to jump on his own.• It's hard to believe, but we're fast approaching the dessert hour.• Snapshots and consumer imagery were fast becoming two sides of the same coin.• This familiarity, this friendliness of science is fast disappearing under the banner of standardisation. fastfast3 verb [intransitive] EATto eat little or no food for a period of time, especially for religious reasons Muslims fast during Ramadan.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
fast• They fasted for a further 2 hours, after which they were allowed normal food and fluid intake.• He would need to fast, to recuperate, to change, before he would be ready to take her.fastfast4 noun [countable] EATa period during which someone does not eat, especially for religious reasons Gandhi drank some orange juice to break (=end) his three-week fast.Examples from the Corpus
fast• a one-day fast for charity• At the end of their fast, the people have a big party to celebrate.• As almost everyone except himself perfectly understood, these fasts were a ruthless exploitation of the power of his own sanctity.break ... fast• Break your fast and pack our bags.• In the morning, immediately after break. fast, he would be at the public mortuary doing the post-mortem.• The speed at which things wear out and break down rises fast when everything you own is cheap.• After they had broken their fast he gave Aeneas the advice he had come to seek.• Keyes said he would not break his fast until he was invited to participate in subsequent candidate debates.• The breaking of the fast, called iftar, usually begins with a snack of dates and milk or water.• The songs were then sung, and Gandhi drank some orange juice to break the three-week fast.• He was always smiling and greeted us most amicably as we broke our fast in the great hall.From Longman Business Dictionaryfastfast1 /fɑːstfæst/ adverb quickly or without delayExports are stillgrowing fast.The Bank of England was criticized for not cutting interest rates fast enough.How fast can you get that report done?fastfast2 adjective happening quickly or without delayThe IT industry is expanding at an incredibly fast rate.Trading has been fast and furious (=full of excitement and activity) this afternoon.We guarantee a fast response to all inquiries.Origin fast2 Old English fæst “firm” fast3 Old English fæstan 