fasten

verb

fas·​ten ˈfa-sᵊn 

fastened; fastening 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

ˈfas-nər 

ˈfa-sᵊn-ər

noun

Synonyms

• affix
• attach
• bend
• fix

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

That process entails fitting together and fastening giant sections of the fuselage, each one produced by a different company, according to Salehpour’s account. —David Hamilton, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

The poles are anchored sixteen feet into the water bed and extend several feet above the surface; the floating concrete foundation is fastened to the poles with rings. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Ahead of the race, waiters used safety pins to fasten numbered bibs to their clothes. —Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024

The drive can be fastened to a bracket in a desktop computer or a 2.5-inch slot in laptops that support them (mostly older models). —PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024

Napoléon Bonaparte’s youngest sister, Caroline Murat) put in an order with Abraham-Louis Breguet for a rather unusual timekeeper: one to be fastened around her wrist in the form of a bracelet made of hair woven with gold thread. —The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024

This, in addition to their activism efforts, keeps the band’s feet fastened in the real world where their music and minds can really change lives. —Spin Contributor, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024

Basic tasks such as pressing buttons, fastening zippers and cooking are now daily challenges for the girl, her lawyer said. —Cristian Santana, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024

The band was making just enough money to get by, hardly sleeping, and driving from gig to gig as Giddens sat in the back seat, fastening CDs or holding her newborn. —Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing fasten

• fasten on
• fasten onto

Kids Definition

fasten

verb

fas·​ten ˈfas-ᵊn 

fastened; fastening ˈfas-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to attach or join by or as if by pinning, tying, or nailing

fasten clothes on a line

2

: to make fast : fix securely

fasten a door

3

: to fix or set steadily

fastened their eyes on the distant ship

4

: to become fixed or joined

the shoes fasten with a buckle

fastener

ˈfas-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun