fasten

play

verb fas·ten \ ˈfa-sᵊn \

Definition of fasten

fastened; fastening play \ˈfas-niŋ, ˈfa-sᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 a :to attach especially by pinning, tying, or nailing

b :to make fast and secure

c :to fix firmly or securely

d :to secure against opening

2 :to fix or set steadily

fastened her attention on the main problem

3 :to take a firm grip with

the dog fastened its teeth in the shoe

4 a :to attach (oneself) persistently and usually objectionably

b :to place forcefully :impose

fastened the blame on the wrong person

intransitive verb

1 :to become fast or fixed

2 a :to take a firm grip or hold

b :to focus attention

—

fastener

play \ˈfas-nər, ˈfa-sᵊn-ər\ noun

See fasten defined for English-language learners

See fasten defined for kids

Examples of fasten in a Sentence

fastening clothes on a clothesline
He fastened the dog's leash to a post and went into the store.
two boards fastened together by nails
a decorative clasp that could be used to fasten a cape or cloak
a shoe that fastens with a buckle
This dress fastens in the back.
She twisted her hair into a bun and fastened it with bobby pins.
Make sure the lid is tightly fastened.
The lock was so damaged it wouldn't fasten.
He fastened his hands on my arm and wouldn't let go.

Recent Examples of fasten from the Web

So, to solve this, Oates brought her son to school with his locks fastened by a simple black hair tie into a bun.

— samantha brodsky, Good Housekeeping, "Mom Is Devastated After 4-Year-Old Was Kicked Out of School for Having Long Hair," 22 Aug. 2017
My advice to Enterprise Florida: Brace yourselves and fasten your seat belts.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Deputy takes the helm of South Florida Water Management District," 31 July 2017
Gray died a week after his neck was broken in the back of a police transport van while he was handcuffed and shackled, but not fastened into a seatbelt.

— Washington Post, "Maryland board OKs settlement in police custody death case," 26 July 2017
Gold is the thin chain that fastens my body to itself.

— carina del valle schorske, The Cut, "Gold, History, and My Body," 25 July 2017
Street helped Brierly stretch a piece of orange string, just so, along a court line, then fasten it into the ground with a small metal stake.

— howard fendrich, The Seattle Times, "Every morning, they mow, paint, mop Wimbledon’s grass courts," 13 July 2017
Hudek continued to fight for a little while longer before he was finally restrained with zip-ties fastened around his limbs, the complaint said.

— aric jenkins, Fortune, "Flight Attendant Smashed Wine Bottles Over Unruly Passenger’s Head During Mid-Flight Chaos," 8 July 2017
As the mycelium grows, the filaments fasten together and turn the fixture white, leaving behind scattered brown flecks that give the lampshades an earthy look.

— nina friend, Bon Appetit, "These Gorgeous Lamps Are Made Out of Edible Mushrooms," 6 July 2017
Palomares was in the crowd, too, posing for photos with a Trump pin fastened to his suit jacket.

— martin vassolo, miamiherald, "Miami Senate race a hard-edged referendum on Donald Trump," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fasten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fasten

Middle English fastnen, from Old English fæstnian to make fast; akin to Old High German festinōn to make fast, Old English fæst fast

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

fasten Synonyms

Synonyms

affix, attach, bend, fix

Antonyms

detach, undo, unfasten, unhook

Related Words

adhere, bolt, cinch, clamp, clasp, clench, clinch, clip, glue, hang, harness, hasp, lace, lash, latch, nail, paste, pin, plaster, rivet, screw, shackle, staple, stick, strap, tack, tackle, tie, toggle, yoke; coapt, connect, join, link, unite; reaffix, reattach, refasten, refix, resecure; batten, belay, button, do up

Near Antonyms

break up, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, separate, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke; loose, loosen; unbind, unfix, unlash, untie

Synonym Discussion of fasten

fasten, fix, attach, affix mean to make something stay firmly in place. fasten implies an action such as tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing.

- fasten the reins to a post

fix usually implies a driving in, implanting, or embedding.

- fixed the stake in the ground

attach suggests a connecting or uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together.

- attach the W-2 form here

affix implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or nailing.

- affix your address label here

FASTEN Defined for English Language Learners

fasten

play

verb

Definition of fasten for English Language Learners

: to attach (something) or join (two things or two parts of something) especially by using a pin, nail, etc.
of parts of something : to become attached or joined
: to put something in a position or location in such a way that it will not move