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

Long before fast-food counters and coffee shops became fixtures of American life, luncheonettes gave generations of Americans an inexpensive place to grab a meal and helped change where women could eat, work and socialize in public. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

McDonald's $2 breakfast sandwich deal can be redeemed over the holiday, but the fast-food giant also has travelers covered with a discount on gas at Shell stations. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Video of the fast-food showdown has drawn millions of views, with commenters praising the former parkour instructor. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

The appetizer and fast-food theme nights feature at-home versions of her family's favorite treats. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 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