fast vs tight what difference

by Posted on

what is difference between fast and tight

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, General New Zealand, General South African) enPR: fäst, IPA(key): /fɑːst/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːst
  • (General American, Northern England) enPR: făst, IPA(key): /fæst/
  • Rhymes: -æst

Etymology 1

From Middle English fast, from Old English fæst (“fast, fixed, firm, secure; constant, steadfast; stiff, heavy, dense; obstinate, bound, costive; enclosed, closed, watertight; strong, fortified”), from Proto-Germanic *fastaz, *fastijaz, *fastuz (“fast, firm, secure”); see it for cognates and further etymology.

The development of “rapid” from an original sense of “secure” apparently happened first in the adverb and then transferred to the adjective; compare hard in expressions like “to run hard”. The original sense of “secure, firm” is now slightly archaic, but retained in the related fasten (“make secure”).

Adjective

fast (comparative faster, superlative fastest)

  1. (dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable. [from 9th c.]
    Synonyms: firm, immobile, secure, stable, stuck, tight
    Antonym: loose
    Hyponyms: bedfast, chairfast, colorfast, fail-fast, lightfast, shamefast, soothfast, steadfast
  2. Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong.
    • out-lawes […] lurking in woods and fast places
    Synonyms: fortified, impenetrable
    Antonyms: penetrable, weak
  3. (of people) Steadfast, with unwavering feeling. (Now mostly in set phrases like fast friend(s).) [from 10th c.]
    • 1933, Will Hudson, Irving Mills and Eddy DeLange, “Moonglow”
      I still hear you sayin’, “Dear one, hold me fast“
  4. Moving with great speed, or capable of doing so; swift, rapid. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: quick, rapid, speedy
    1. (nuclear physics, of a neutron) Having a kinetic energy between 1 million and 20 million electron volts; often used to describe the energy state of free neutrons at the moment of their release by a nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reaction (i.e., before the neutrons have been slowed down by anything).
  5. Of a place, characterised by business, hustle and bustle, etc.
  6. Causing unusual rapidity of play or action.
  7. (computing, of a piece of hardware) Able to transfer data in a short period of time.
  8. Deep or sound (of sleep); fast asleep (of people). [16th-19th c.]
    • c. 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, scene 1:
      Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.
    Synonyms: deep, sound
    Antonym: light
  9. (of dyes or colours) Not running or fading when subjected to detrimental conditions such as wetness or intense light; permanent. [from 17th c.]
    Synonym: colour-fast
  10. (obsolete) Tenacious; retentive.
    • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Gardens
      Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their smells.
  11. (dated) Having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits. [from 18th c.]
    • 1852, John Swaby, Physiology of the Opera (page 74)
      […] we remember once hearing a fast man suggest that they were evidently “nobs who had overdrawn the badger by driving fast cattle, and going it high” — the exact signification of which words we did not understand […]
    • 1979, Doug Fieger, “Good Girls Don’t”:
      You’re alone with her at last / And you’re waiting ’til you think the time is right / Cause you’ve heard she’s pretty fast / And you’re hoping that she’ll give you some tonight.
  13. Ahead of the correct time or schedule. [from 19th c.]
    Synonyms: ahead, (as in “the clock is gaining x minutes per hour/day”) gain
    Antonyms: behind, slow
  14. (of photographic film) More sensitive to light than average. [from 20th c.]
Usage notes

In the context of nuclear reactors or weaponry, fission-spectrum neutrons (neutrons with the spectrum of energies produced by nuclear fission) are frequently referred to as fast neutrons, even though the majority of fission-spectrum neutrons have energies below the 1-million-electron-volt cutoff.

Synonyms
  • (occurring or happening within a short time): quick, rapid, speedy, swift
  • (capable of moving with great speed): see also Thesaurus:speedy
  • (rapidly consents to sexual activity): easy, slutty; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous
  • (firmly or securely fixed in place): see also Thesaurus:tight
Antonyms
  • (occurring or happening within a short time): slow
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Adverb

fast (comparative faster, superlative fastest)

  1. In a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved; safe, sound [from 10th c.].
    • c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene 5[2]:
      Shylock:
      […] Do as I bid you; shut doors after you:
      Fast bind, fast find;
      A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.
    Synonyms: firmly, securely, tightly
    Antonym: loosely
  2. (of sleeping) Deeply or soundly [from 13th c.].
    Synonym: deeply
    Antonym: lightly
  3. Immediately following in place or time; close, very near [from 13th c.].
  4. Quickly, with great speed; within a short time [from 13th c.].
    Synonyms: quickly, rapidly, speedily, swiftly
    Antonym: slowly
  5. Ahead of the correct time or schedule.
    Synonym: ahead
    Antonym: behind
Translations

Noun

fast (plural fasts)

  1. (Britain, rail transport) A train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations
    Synonyms: express, express train, fast train
    Antonyms: local, slow train, stopper
Translations

Interjection

fast

  1. (archery) Short for “stand fast”, a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target
    Antonym: loose
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English fasten, from Old English fæstan (verb), from Proto-Germanic *fastijaną, derived from *fastuz, and thereby related to Etymology 1. Cognate with Dutch vasten, German fasten, Old Norse fasta, Gothic ???????????????????????? (fastan), Russian пост (post). The noun is probably from Old Norse fasta.

Verb

fast (third-person singular simple present fasts, present participle fasting, simple past and past participle fasted)

  1. (intransitive) To restrict one’s personal consumption, generally of food, but sometimes other things, in various manners (totally, temporally, by avoiding particular items), often for religious or medical reasons.
    Muslims fast during Ramadan and Catholics during Lent.
    • Thou didst fast and weep for the child.
Translations

Noun

fast (plural fasts)

  1. The act or practice of abstaining from food or of eating very little food.
    Synonym: fasting
  2. The period of time during which one abstains from or eats very little food.

Hyponyms

  • dharna (India)
Derived terms
Translations

References

  • fast in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • fast at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

  • AT&SF, ATFs, ATSF, FTAs, SAFT, TAFs, afts, fats, tafs

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin fāstus (“pride, arrogance”).

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈfast/

Noun

fast m (plural fasts or fastos)

  1. pomp
  2. luxury

Related terms

  • fastuós

Further reading

  • “fast” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fast/, [fasd̥]

Adjective

fast

  1. firm
  2. solid
  3. tight
  4. fixed
  5. permanent
  6. regular
Inflection
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From German fast (“almost, nearly”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fast/, [fasd̥]

Adverb

fast

  1. (dated) almost, nearly
    Synonyms: næsten, omtrent

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /faːst/, [fæːˀsd̥]

Verb

fast

  1. imperative of faste

German

Etymology 1

From Old High German fasto, compare fest. Cognate with English adverb fast. Compare Dutch vast

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fast/
  • Homophone: fasst

Adverb

fast

  1. almost; nearly
    Synonyms: beinahe, knapp, nahezu
    Antonym: ganz
  2. (in a negative clause) hardly
    Synonym: kaum

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /faːst/

Verb

fast

  1. inflection of fasen:
    1. second/third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person plural present indicative/imperative

Further reading

  • “fast” in Duden online
  • “fast” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Friedrich Kluge (1883), “fast”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English fæst.

Adverb

fast

  1. fast (quickly)

Descendants

  • English: fast

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.

Adjective

fast (neuter singular fast, definite singular and plural faste)

  1. solid, steady, firm, fixed, permanent
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

fast

  1. imperative of faste

References

  • “fast” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. Akin to English fast.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɑst/

Adjective

fast (indefinite singular fast, definite singular and plural faste, comparative fastare, indefinite superlative fastast, definite superlative fastaste)

  1. solid, steady, firm, fixed, permanent, stuck

Derived terms

References

  • “fast” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *fastī, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.

Adjective

fast

  1. solid, firm

Declension


Romanian

Etymology

From French faste.

Noun

fast n (uncountable)

  1. splendour, pomp

Declension

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish faster, from Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.

Pronunciation

Adjective

fast

  1. caught (unable to move freely), captured
  2. firm, fastened, unmoving
  3. solid (as opposed to liquid)
  4. although (short form of fastän)

Declension

Related terms

Adverb

fast

  1. fixed, firmly, steadily (synonymous to the adjective)
  2. almost, nearly

Conjunction

fast

  1. although, even though

Related terms

Anagrams

  • fats, saft, staf

English

Etymology

From Middle English tight, tyght, tyȝt, tiht, variants of thight, thiht, from Old English *þiht, *þīht (attested in meteþiht), from Proto-West Germanic *þį̄ht(ī), from Proto-Germanic *þinhtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tenkt- (“dense, thick, tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, pull”). Cognate with Scots ticht, West Frisian ticht, Danish tæt, Icelandic þéttur (“dense”), Norwegian tett, Swedish tät, Dutch dicht (“dense”), German dicht (“dense”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: tīt, IPA(key): /taɪt/
  • Rhymes: -aɪt

Adjective

tight (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)

  1. Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
    1. Unyielding or firm.
    2. Under high tension; taut.
    3. (colloquial) Scarce, hard to come by.
    4. (colloquial, figuratively) Intimately friendly.
    5. (slang, figuratively, usually derogatory) Miserly or frugal.
  2. (of a space, design or arrangement) Narrow, such that it is difficult for something or someone to pass through it.
    2. Fitting close, or too close, to the body.
    3. Of a turn, sharp, so that the timeframe for making it is narrow and following it is difficult.
    4. Lacking holes; difficult to penetrate; waterproof.
      • 1965, MotorBoating, page 145
        He reported the hull was tight and secure and did not leak a drop.
      • 2014, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, The Guardian, 27 November:
        Security is tight inside and outside the building, guarded by a bewildering collection of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes. Relatives watch as prisoners in handcuffs and leg irons shuffle past.
  3. Well-rehearsed and accurate in execution.
    1. (sports) Not conceding many goals.
      • 2014, Paul Doyle, “Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter”, The Guardian, 18 October 2014:
        The odd thing was that Sunderland made the better start and showed early signs that they might pose serious problems to the Premier League’s tightest defence.
  4. (slang) Intoxicated; drunk or acting like being drunk.
    • 1940, Effie Butler, Misbehaving Husbands:
      I’m going to celebrate my divorce! And then I’m going to get tight.
    • 2001, Gaelic Storm, Johnny Tarr (on the album Tree):
      Johnny walked into the Castle Bar, looking to get tight.
  5. (slang) Extraordinarily great or special.
  6. (slang, British (regional)) Mean; unfair; unkind.
    • 1977, Willy Russell, Our Day Out, Act One, Scene One:
      Reilly: Ey, Miss, hang on, hang on… can we come with y’, Miss? Can we?
      Digga: Go on, Miss, don’t be tight, let’s come.
    • 2001, Kevin Sampson, Outlaws, p.244:
      “Ah leave him, ay!” goes one of the girls. “Don’t be tight.” I turns to her. “Don’t you think it’s tight terrorising old ladies? Ay?”
    • 2011, Andrew Hicks, “Thai Girl: A story of the one who said ‘no'”, unnumbered page:
      “That’s right … so even when life’s a grind, the Thais keep smiling. They think the farang are a miserable lot who have to get drunk to enjoy themselves.”
      “Dutch, that’s tight mate, I mean what’s wrong with getting pissed. When you’re not working, you gotta have a good time,” said Darren.
  7. (obsolete) Not ragged; whole; neat; tidy.
    • clad very plain, but clean and tight
    • 1714, John Gay, The What D’ye Call It
      I’ll spin and card, and keep our children tight.
    • 1887, W. S. Gilbert, Ruddigore
      Richard: But here she comes! […] (Enter Rose — he is much struck by her.) By the Port Admiral, but she’s a tight little craft!
    • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband […] from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
  8. (obsolete) Handy; adroit; brisk.
  9. (poker) Of a player, who plays very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  10. (poker) Using a strategy which involves playing very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  11. (informal, of persons) Intimate, close, close-knit.
    Synonym: thick as thieves

Synonyms

  • (firmly held together): close, serried (of ranks); see also Thesaurus:tight
  • (pushed/pulled together): crowded, dense; see also Thesaurus:compact
  • (under high tension): taut, tense, under tension; see also Thesaurus:taut
  • (miserly or frugal): niggardly, parsimonious; see also Thesaurus:stingy
  • (narrow): narrow; see also Thesaurus:narrow
  • (fitting close to the body): figure-hugging, snug, tight-fitting; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
  • (well-rehearsed and accurate): polished, precise; see also Thesaurus:meticulous
  • (intimately friendly): close, close-knit, intimate
  • (slang: intoxicated): blotto, plastered; see also Thesaurus:drunk
  • (slang: extraordinarily great or special): ace, cool, fab, rad, slick; see also Thesaurus:excellent
  • (slang: mean; unfair; unkind): see also Thesaurus:mean
  • (not ragged): ruly, shipshape, trim; see also Thesaurus:orderly
  • (handy; adroit; brisk): crafty, dexterous, skilful; see also Thesaurus:skilled

Antonyms

  • (firmly held together): baggy (of clothing or other material), loose, sagging, saggy, slack; see also Thesaurus:loose
  • (pushed/pulled together):
  • (under high tension): loose, relaxed, slack; see also Thesaurus:careless
  • (miserly or frugal): generous, prodigal, scattergood; see also Thesaurus:generous or Thesaurus:prodigal
  • (narrow): broad, capacious, open, roomy, spacious, wide; see also Thesaurus:wide
  • (well-rehearsed and accurate): slack, slapdash, sloppy
  • (slang: intoxicated): clearheaded, on the wagon; see also Thesaurus:sober
  • (slang: extraordinarily great or special): crap, naff, pathetic, rubbish; see also Thesaurus:bad
  • (slang: mean; unfair; unkind): nice, pleasant; see also Thesaurus:kindly
  • (not ragged): unruly, messy; see also Thesaurus:disorderly
  • (handy; adroit; brisk): bungling, maladroit, unskilful; see also Thesaurus:unskilled

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

tight (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)

  1. Firmly, so as not to come loose easily.
    Make sure the lid is closed tight.
  2. Soundly.
    Good night, sleep tight.

Synonyms

  • (firmly): fast, firmly, securely
  • (soundly): soundly, well

Antonyms

  • (firmly): loosely
  • (soundly): badly, fitfully

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

tight (third-person singular simple present tights, present participle tighting, simple past and past participle tighted)

  1. (obsolete) To tighten.

Danish

Etymology

From English tight. Doublet of tæt.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tajt/, [ˈtˢɑjd̥]

Adjective

tight (plural and definite singular attributive tighte)

  1. tight (of cloths, finances, schedules)
    Synonym: stram
  2. (music) tight (keeping time and with musical understanding)

References

  • “tight” in Den Danske Ordbog

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English tight.

Noun

tight m (invariable)

  1. morning suit, morning dress

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Published by admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social Share Buttons and Icons powered by Ultimatelysocial