What is the Latin word for fast?

The usual Latin words for “fast” are ieiūnium, inedia, firmus; also stabilis, celer, citus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“fast” in Latin

ieiūniumfast (day); fasting; Lent; hunger inediafasting, starvation firmusstrong, powerful; stable, firm; faithful, steadfast, true stabilisfirm, steadfast, steady, sure, stable, stationary (that stands firm); established, enduring, durable, immutable, lasting celerfast, swift, quick, speedy, fleet citusswift, quick, rapid; early festīnanterpromptly, speedily, quickly; hastily, hurriedly vēlōxswift, quick, fleet, rapid, speedy raptimhastily, suddenly, speedily, hurriedly sōpiōto deprive of feeling; to lull to sleep, put to sleep; to render unconscious, knock out

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

fast v.

jejunium servare (voluntarily to refrain from food for a season; to keep a fast, especially from religious motives; Vid: Suet., Oct., 76): cibo se abstinere (to abstain from food, especially as a remedy; ☞ abstinere cibo and simply abstinere are post-classical): to injure one’s health by fasting, aliquis tam parcus et continens est, ut necessitates valetudinis restringat.

fast s.

jejunium (a voluntary abstaining from food for some time, a fasting; then as it were figuratively = hunger): inedia (a not eating; the abstaining from food voluntarily or compulsorily, or in consequence of the state of body; ☞ abstinentia does not occur until after the classical period). To order, appoint a fast, jejunium instituere: to proclaim a fast, jejunium indicare.

fast adv.

Firmly, firme: firmiter: stabiliter [SYN. in QUICK]. Fast asleep, sopitus; arto et gravi somno sopitus; or dormiens only: to be fast asleep, arte et graviter dormitare; arto et gravi somno sopitum esse; also sopitum esse only (PROP.); dormitare; dormitare in otio (Plaut.); oscifare (or oscifari) et dormitare (Cic., De Or., 2, 33, 144); sedere et oscitari (Auct., ad Her., 4, 36; all IMPROP.): to stand fast, *immotum stare: to tie fast, vincire; devincire, to anything, ad aliquid; constringere, with anything, aliqua re: to hold fast, tenere; retinere (PROP., of a thief, etc.); mordicus tenere (with the teeth; also IMPROP., to abide fast or firmly by anything): to stick fast, adhaerere; inhaerere: to make anything fast with a pin, *aliquid acu affigere.

Swiftly, celeriter: cito: festinanter: velociter [SYN. in QUICK, adjective]: raptim (in a hurried manner): too fast, praepropere: to walk, go, or run fast, celeriter ire; celeri or citato gradu ire (of persons); celeri cursu ferri (of a waggon, a ship, etc.): to flow fast, incitatius fluere or ferri; citatum ferri (of a river): to move, etc., faster (after one had been going slower), gradum addere or corripere; gradum conferre: a fast-sailing vessel, navis celerrima: this was a very fast-sailing vessel, haec navis erat incredibili celeritate velis: one that speaks fast, volubilis: the habit of speaking too fast, praeceps quaedam celeritas dicendi (of an orator); citata pronunciatio (a rapid utterance): to conclude or judge too fast, festinantius judicare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for fast?: The usual Latin words for “fast” are ieiūnium, inedia, firmus; also stabilis, celer, citus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.