fast-food

adjective

ˈfas(t)-ˌfüd How to pronounce fast-food (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The acquisitions gave PepsiCo a major presence in the fast-food industry and another way to market and sell its beverages. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026 Court documents show that on June 25, 2025, Calderón falsely told an individual that immigration officials were taking her into custody near a fast-food restaurant and claimed agents had threatened to break her window. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 And according to Taskrabbit, approximately half of fast-food chain pickup requests on the platform across Los Angeles and Orange County are for In-N-Out alone. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Moshier remembers when the team stopped at a fast-food restaurant on a road trip and Murphy yelled for everyone to get back to the bus. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fast-food

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fast-food was in 1960

Rhymes for fast-food

See All Rhymes for fast-food

Browse Nearby Words

fast fashion
fast-food
fast-forward
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fast-food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast-food. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fast-food

adjective
ˌfas(t)-ˌfüd
: specializing in food that can be prepared and served quickly
a fast-food restaurant
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