# fast

/ˈfæst/ (US) · /fˈɑːst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fast
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. quick or rapid

adjective · CEFR A1

moving or happening at high speed.

For teachers: characterised by high speed; capable of rapid movement or action.

- The fast train to London takes less than two hours.
- The company's fast growth surprised many investors who had expected a much slower entry into the European market.

### 2. ahead of time

adjective · CEFR B1

showing a time that is later than the real time.

For teachers: indicating a time ahead of the actual or correct time, typically in reference to a clock or watch.

- My watch is five minutes fast, so I always arrive early for meetings.
- He intentionally kept his alarm clock ten minutes fast to ensure he never missed the early morning commute.

### 3. firmly fixed

adjective · CEFR B2

attached firmly so that it cannot move.

For teachers: firmly fixed or attached; secure against movement or displacement.

- Make sure the knot is fast before you start climbing.
- The tradition remains fast in the rural provinces, despite the rapid modernisation occurring in the capital city.

### 4. quickly

adverb · CEFR A1

at high speed.

For teachers: at a high rate of speed; rapidly.

- You are driving too fast for this narrow road.
- The news spread fast across the small town, reaching almost every household before the official announcement was made.

### 5. deeply asleep

adverb · CEFR B1

completely or deeply, usually used with the word 'asleep'.

For teachers: completely or soundly; almost exclusively used in the collocation 'fast asleep'.

- The baby was fast asleep in her cot after the long walk.
- Exhausted by the day's hike, the travellers were fast asleep long before the storm began to rattle the cabin windows.

### 6. to abstain from food

verb · CEFR B2

to eat little or no food for a period of time, often for religious or medical reasons.

For teachers: to abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance or for medical purposes.

- Patients must fast for twelve hours before having the blood test.
- Many cultures require followers to fast during specific holy months to demonstrate spiritual discipline and empathy for the poor.

### 7. period of not eating

noun · CEFR B2

a period of time when you do not eat food.

For teachers: an act or period of fasting.

- He broke his three-day fast with a small bowl of soup.
- The community gathered for a large celebration to mark the end of the traditional religious fast.

## Examples

- The doctor asked me to complete a twelve-hour fast before the blood test.
- After a long fast during the religious holiday, the family gathered for a large celebratory meal at sunset.
- Clinical studies suggest that a supervised fast can trigger metabolic changes that may improve insulin sensitivity in certain patients.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.