There are many situations when you can use “fast” in English. Which of these collocations and expressions with “fast” do you use?
Learning tip: Try to use some new collocations with “fast” in your own sentences so that you can remember them more easily.
Common Collocations With ‘Fast’
Here are some typical collocations with fast:
fast thinker = someone who thinks quickly
“You need to be a fast thinker in this job.”
fast talker = someone who talks fast
“He’s a fast talker so it can be difficult to understand him.”
fast pace of life = an active lifestyle, with lots happening
“I got used to a fast pace of life in the city.”
fast reactions = when you react quickly
“You need fast reactions when you drive on the motorway.”
fast car = a car that can go at high speeds
“There’s no point having a fast car when you live in the city.”
fast response time = when people respond quickly (to customer questions, or in emergencies)
“Their fast response time is due to good staffing levels.”
fast track = a way to get fast results
“They fast-tracked our mortgage application.” (verb)
“She’s on a fast-track graduate scheme.”
fast growth = when something grows quickly
“Our company has seen fast growth this year.”
fast broadband / connection = when you have a quick internet connection
“You can’t get fast broadband in this area.”
Other Ways To Use Fast
my watch is fast = when your watch / clock goes too fast and shows a time in the future
“I always set my watch to be a few minutes fast so that I’m not late for meetings!”
stuck fast = when something is completely stuck and won’t move
“I can’t get the coin out of the machine. It seems to be stuck fast.”
fast asleep = when you’re completely asleep (also “sound asleep”)
“He didn’t hear his phone ring because he was fast asleep.”
colour-fast (adjective) = when the colours in your clothes don’t come out when you wash them
“If the jeans aren’t colour-fast, you should wash them separately.”
Idioms With Fast
(life) in the fast lane = live life a little dangerously
“He lived life in the fast lane when he was in New York.”
be fast / quick on the draw = to have quick reactions
“The contestants on this show are fast on the draw.”
fast and furious = with many things happening quickly
“The race was fast and furious.”
(not a) hard and fast rule = a rule with no exceptions
“There are very few hard and fast rules in English.”
make a fast / quick buck = earn money easily (sometimes unethically)
“Some companies just want to make a fast buck.”
pull a fast one = trick someone
“The seller pulled a fast one and we ended up paying more for the car.”
Other Expressions For Speed
think on your feet = think quickly and spontaneously
“I wasn’t prepared for his question and had to think on my feet.”
talk nineteen to the dozen = talk fast
“When the children talk nineteen to the dozen it’s hard to get a word in!”
to bomb along = travel fast
“He was bombing along the road and I had to ask him to slow down.”
like a bat out of hell = go fast
“He came round the corner like a bat out of hell!”
faster than the speed of light = be fast
“Gossip travels faster than the speed of light round here!”
go at breakneck speed = go very fast
“The car was travelling at breakneck speed when the accident happened.”
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