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Fastidious vs Fast - What's the difference?

fastidious | fast |

As adjectives the difference between fastidious and fast

is that fastidious is excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness while fast is firmly or securely fixed in place; stable.

As an adverb fast is

in a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved .

As a noun fast is

a train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations.

As an interjection fast is

short for "stand fast", a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target.

As a verb fast is

to abstain from food, or eat very little, especially for religious or medical reasons.

fastidious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness.
  • * 2008 , Robert Fisher, Memory Road , [http://books.google.com/books?id=TGyAvuZt5VoC&pg=PA37&dq=his+fastidious+nature+clean&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4WCLUNmDLbPF0AGpmoDgDQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBQ]:
    • His fastidious nature had been evident in his careful snipping of a customer's hair and now he guided his pencil with the same adroitness.
  • * 2004 , Maria Osborne Perr, Ravished Wings , [http://books.google.com/books?id=GEno70HQAQgC&pg=PA153&dq=his+fastidious+nature+clean&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4WCLUNmDLbPF0AGpmoDgDQ&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw]:
    • As she cleaned the room daily, she knew it was against his fastidious nature to bring or have food in his room.
  • * 2003 , Lynsay Sands, Single White Vampire :
  • * He had at first tried to clean up as they ate, his fastidious nature kicking in, but Chris had told him to just stop, he was blocking the TV.
  • Difficult to please; quick to find fault.
  • * 1897 , ,
    • "It's burn[t], M'sieur," said Marie Louise, politely, but decidedly, to the utter confusion of Mr. Billy, who was as mortified as could be at the failure of his dinner to please his fastidious little visitor.
  • * 1881 , ,
    • You're too fastidious, and too indolent, and too rich.

    Synonyms

    * (excessively particular) exacting, fussy, meticulous * See also

    See also

    * finicky

    External links

    * * *

    fast

    English

    (wikipedia fast)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) fast, from (etyl) ; 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 .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable.
    • That rope is dangerously loose. Make it fast !
  • Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong.
  • * Spenser
    • outlaws lurking in woods and fast places
  • (of people) Steadfast, with unwavering feeling. (Now only in set phrases like "fast friend".)
  • Moving with great speed, or capable of doing so; swift, rapid.
    • I am going to buy a fast car.
  • (computing, of a piece of hardware) Able to transfer data in a short period of time.
  • Deep or sound (of sleep); fast asleep (of people).
  • * Shakespeare
    • all this while in a most fast sleep
  • (of dyes or colours) Not running or fading when subjected to detrimental conditions such as wetness or intense light; permanent.
    • All the washing has come out pink. That red tee-shirt was not fast .
  • (obsolete) Tenacious; retentive.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their smells.
  • (colloquial) Having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits.
    • She's fast – she slept with him on their first date. .
  • Ahead of the correct time or schedule.
    • There must be something wrong with the hall clock. It is always fast .
  • (of photographic film) More sensitive to light than average.
    • Synonyms
    * (occurring or happening within a short time) quick, rapid, speedy, swift * (capable of moving with great speed) quick, rapid, speedy * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) ahead * (rapidly consents to sexual activity) easy, slutty * (firmly or securely fixed in place) firm, immobile, secure, stable, stuck, tight * (firm against attack) fortified, impenetrable * colour-fast * deep, sound
    Antonyms
    * (occurring or happening within a short time) slow * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) slow, behind * (firmly or securely fixed in place) loose * (firm against attack) penetrable, weak * light
    Derived terms
    * bedfast * chairfast * fasten (rapid) * fast and furious * fast food * fast-forward

    Adverb

    (er)
  • In a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved .
  • (of sleeping) Deeply or soundly .
  • Immediately following in place or time; close, very near .
  • Quickly, with great speed; within a short time .
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-17, volume=408, issue=8849, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Pennies streaming from heaven , passage=Faster than a speeding bit, the internet upended media and entertainment companies. Piracy soared, and sales of albums and films slid. Newspapers lost advertising and readers to websites. Stores selling books, CDs and DVDs went bust. Doomsayers predicted that consumers and advertisers would abandon pay-television en masse in favour of online alternatives.}}
  • Ahead of the correct time or schedule.
    • Synonyms
    * (quickly) quickly, rapidly, speedily, swiftly * (in a firm or secure manner) firmly, securely, tightly * deeply * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) ahead
    Antonyms
    * (quickly) slowly * (in a firm or secure manner) loosely * lightly * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) behind

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, rail transport) A train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations
    • Synonyms
    * (rail transport) express, express train, fast train
    Antonyms
    * (rail transport) local, slow train, stopper

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • (archery) Short for "stand fast", a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target
    • Antonyms
    * (archery) loose

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) fasten, from (etyl) . The noun is probably from (etyl) fasta.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To abstain from food, or eat very little, especially for religious or medical reasons.
    • Muslims fast during Ramadan.
  • * Bible, 2 Sam. xii. 21
    • Thou didst fast and weep for the child.
  • * Milton
    • Fasting' he went to sleep, and ' fasting waked.
  • * 2007 , John Zerzan, Silence , p. 3,
    • It is at the core of the Vision Quest, the solitary period of fasting and closeness to the earth to discover one's life path and purpose.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or practice of abstaining from food or of eating very little food
  • The period of time during which one abstains from or eats very little food
  • * Lent and Ramadan are fasts of two religions.
    • Synonyms
    * (act or practice) fasting
    Derived terms
    * break one's fast * breakfast * fast day

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