Showing results for "rolling"

• present participle of roll.

rolling

American  

[roh-ling] / ˈroʊ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the action, motion, or sound of anything that rolls.

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adjective

1. moving by revolving or turning over and over.

2. rising and falling in gentle slopes, as land.

   rolling hills.

3. moving in undulating billows, as clouds or waves.

   Jessica felt a peace steal over her as she watched the rolling waves.

4. rocking or swaying from side to side.

   The rolling movement of the train car lulled most of the passengers to sleep.

5. turning or folding over, as a collar.

6. producing a deep, continuous sound.

   rolling thunder.

7. steadily moving onward in a series of stages.

   a rolling program of renovations.

idioms

1. rolling in (something), luxuriating or abounding in (something, especially money).

   As a nonprofit, the Tandy Academy of Music is not exactly rolling in cash.

2. rolling (in the aisles), (of an audience or audience member) convulsed with laughter: Also in the aisles

   Arden had her audience in tears with one song, then rolling in the aisles with her humor.

rolling British  

/ ˈrəʊlɪŋ /

adjective

1. having gentle rising and falling slopes; undulating

   rolling country

2. progressing or spreading by stages or by occurrences in different places in succession, with continued or increasing effectiveness

   three weeks of rolling strikes disrupted schools

3. subject to regular review and updating

   a rolling plan for overseas development

4. deeply resounding; reverberating

   rolling thunder

5. slang extremely rich

6. that may be turned up or down

   a rolling hat brim

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adverb

1. slang swaying or staggering (in the phrase rolling drunk )

Other Word Forms

• rollingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of rolling

First recorded in 1400–50; Late Middle English; see roll, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rolling

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is rolling out free child care to help families stay in the city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Dennis Dahmer, who is 73, similarly understands the stakes of what the court has done by rolling back key protections the VRA established.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Another grower near Mid-Illovo, a region of rolling hills south of Durban, said most cane cutters in his area came from Lesotho, the tiny kingdom encircled by South Africa.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Martínez-Olguín on Thursday extended the restraining order for another 14 days — until Aug. 17 — in recognition that more time was needed for the case to get rolling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Some were lying on the ground, rolling over and over, and kicking up the dust.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• hilly
• undulating