fast-forward

1. noun A button, mechanism, or function on an audio or video player that advances a recording rapidly to some future point. Sorry, the fast-forward doesn't work on this old cassette player anymore. I hate this part of the movie. Bill, would you hit fast-forward, please? A: "Stop, you're rewinding it too far!" B: "Ah, sorry. I'll stop and hit fast-forward now."

2. noun A rapid advancement of some process or development to some future point or state. The film ends with a fast-forward to the main character's wedding day. All that smoking and drinking is going to be a fast-forward to the grave for you. Well, sorry, I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't give you a fast-forward to your life five years from now.

3. verb To advance an audio or video recording rapidly to some future point. The verb can be used transitively or intransitively. Hey, you fast-forwarded past the part of the interview where I talk about my book! I always fast-forward the movie so I can skip its boring intro sequence. I know the big home run didn't happen till the fifth inning, so can we fast-forward a bit?

4. verb To advance some process or development rapidly to some future point or state. We are trying to fast-forward the conversion of the city's public transport to electric engines. The tech company's explosive growth has fast-forwarded the development of the small country. If you want to fast-forward a project in Washington, good luck—I doubt anyone moves slower than a politician.

5. verb To consider or imagine a future point or stage in a process or sequence of events. He grew up in a small fishing village in Mumbai. Fast-forward to 2017, and he is now the CEO of the largest company in the world. Here are our sales trends for the year. If we fast-forward five years, we can see that we will be in serious financial trouble if we don't change the way we do business. April was not the prettiest girl in high school, but wow, fast-forward 10 years and she is gorgeous!

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