fast forward

¹

[ fast fawr-werd, fahst- ]

noun

1. a function of an audio or video recorder or player, as a cassette deck or DVR, that allows the content to be advanced rapidly.
2. the button or other control that activates this function.

fast-forward

²

[ fast-fawr-werd, fahst- ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to advance an audio or video recording rapidly:

   I always fast-forward through the TV ads that get recorded on my DVR.

2. to skip over a period of time and arrive at a future point in the timeline, especially in narration:

   Fast-forward six months, she’s gotten engaged and is moving to Europe!

fast-forward

noun

1. sometimes not hyphenated the control on a tape deck or video recorder used to wind the tape or video forward at speed
2. informal.
   a state of urgency or rapid progress

   my mind went into fast forward

verb

1. tr to wind (a video or tape) forward using the fast-forward control
2. to deal with speedily

   fast-forward the trials of the new drug

3. intr to move forward through a tape or video using the fast-forward control
4. usually foll by to to direct one's attention towards a particular time or event, ignoring intervening material

   fast-forward to the summer of 2008

Word History and Origins

Origin of fast forward¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Word History and Origins

Origin of fast forward¹

C20: from the fast-forward wind control in a tape deck

Example Sentences

Fast forward a couple of decades and he is retiring as one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet.

From BBC

Fast forward three years and that price has slumped to just under $5 - and the company is worth 2% of what it once was.

From BBC

Fast forward 24 months and the transformation is remarkable.

From BBC

Fast forward to 2024-25 season and the same scenario appears to be unfolding.

From Los Angeles Times

Fast forward to the 2024 sequel, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," and we find a similar dynamic, but with a twist.

From Salon