Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - fast

(faster, fastest, fasts, fasting, fasted) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. 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... Brindley was known as a very, very fast driver... The party aims to attract votes from the business and professional communities, which want a faster pace of political reform... The only question is how fast the process will be. = quick ? slow ADJ • Fast is also an adverb. They work terrifically fast... It would be nice to go faster and break the world record... Barnes also knows that he is fast running out of time... How fast were you driving?... How fast would the disease develop? = quickly ? slowly ADV: ADV with v 2. You use fast to say that something happens without any delay. When you’ve got a crisis like this you need professional help–fast!... We’d appreciate your leaving as fast as possible. = soon, swiftly ADV: ADV after v • Fast is also an adjective. That would be an astonishingly fast action on the part of the Congress. = swift ADJ: ADJ n 3. If a watch or clock is fast, it is showing a time that is later than the real time. That clock’s an hour fast. ADJ: v-link ADJ 4. If you hold something fast, you hold it tightly and firmly. If something is stuck fast, it is stuck very firmly and cannot move. She climbed the staircase cautiously, holding fast to the rail... The tanker is stuck fast on the rocks. = firmly ADV: ADV after v 5. If you hold fast to a principle or idea, or if you stand fast, you do not change your mind about it, even though people are trying to persuade you to. We can only try to hold fast to the age-old values of honesty, decency and concern for others... He told supporters to stand fast over the next few vital days. = firm ADV: ADV after v 6. If colours or dyes are fast, they do not come out of the fabrics they are used on when they get wet. The fabric was ironed to make the colours fast. ADJ: usu v-link ADJ 7. 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 half and asked God to help me. VERB: V • Fast is also a noun. The fast is broken at sunset, traditionally with dates and water. N-COUNT • fasting ...the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer. N-UNCOUNT 8. Someone who is fast asleep is completely asleep. When he went upstairs five minutes later, she was fast asleep. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v 9. to make a fast buck: see buck FAST FOOD Fast food is hot food, such as hamburgers and chips, that you obtain from particular types of restaurant, and which is served quickly after you order it. James works as assistant chef at a fast food restaurant... N-UNCOUNT: oft n N