Ferris wheel

American  

[fer-is] / ˈfɛr ɪs /

noun

• Ferris wheels
  plural

1. an amusement ride consisting of a large upright wheel rotating on a fixed stand and having seats around its rim suspended freely so that they remain right side up as they revolve.

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Ferris wheel British  

/ ˈfɛrɪs /

noun

1. a fairground wheel having seats freely suspended from its rim; the seats remain horizontal throughout its rotation

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Ferris wheels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Ferris wheel

1890–95; named after G. W. G. Ferris (died 1896), American engineer

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Ferris wheel

The celebrations feature a 110-foot Ferris wheel in Washington, D.C., and an 85,000-shell fireworks display in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

And theoretically fairgoers could have had fun on the Ferris wheel, though I didn’t see anyone lining up for that.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

The only ride was a massive Ferris wheel that didn’t work half the time.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

Organizers have promised attractions ranging from regional food and cultural displays to a 110-foot Ferris wheel, a restored Smithsonian carousel, military bands and a red-white-and-blue "250" projected onto the Washington Monument.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

One of the first things we did together was scale the Ferris wheel, but that time it was me, not him, who compelled us to climb higher.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth