fast-food

adjective

ˈfas(t)-ˌfüd 

1

: of, relating to, or specializing in food that can be prepared and served quickly

a fast-food restaurant

2

: designed for ready availability, use, or consumption and with little consideration given to quality or significance

fast-food TV programming

fast food noun

Examples of fast-food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jackson certainly knows the challenges of eating well while working on patrol, with sometimes just a few minutes for a meal and only fast-food options available. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2026

White Castle is considered the nation’s first fast-food hamburger stand. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026

The Kelce brothers once ran down their favorite fast-food burgers, and apparently, Burger King is tops. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

The group stage has delivered unlikely folk heroes, fan celebrations, fast-food diplomacy, and enough TikTok content to last far past the final. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fast-food

• accrued
• allude
• collude
• conclude
• construed
• debuted
• delude
• elude
• endued
• ensued
• eschewed
• etude

Kids Definition

fast-food

adjective

ˌfas(t)-ˌfüd

: specializing in food that can be prepared and served quickly

a fast-food restaurant