merry-go-round
Americannoun
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Also called carousel. (in amusement parks, carnivals, etc.) a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other animals, benches, etc., on which people may sit or ride, usually to the accompaniment of mechanical or recorded music.
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a rapid whirl or a busy round, as of social life or business affairs.
noun
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another name for roundabout
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a whirl of activity or events
the merry-go-round of the fashion world
Usage
What is a merry-go-round? A merry-go-round is an amusement park ride that consists of a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other fixtures, as in Sofia and Camila begged their parents to ride the merry-go-round with them. A merry-go-round is also known as a carousel. People sit on the fixtures, while the platform goes around slowly and cheery (some might say “cheesy”) music plays. Merry-go-round can also be used figuratively to refer to a whirl, or a busy round, of activity, as in Sports fans are always delighted by the merry-go-round of the trading season. Example: I always enjoyed listening to carnival music when I rode the merry-go-round as a kid.
Etymology
Origin of merry-go-round
First recorded in 1720–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pee-wee always claimed that it was he and he alone who discovered the mysterious secret of Merry-go-round Island; he and he alone who penetrated its unknown depths.
From Pee-Wee Harris Adrift by Fitzhugh, Percy Keese
"I wonder what's become of your old little boat, Governor — the Merry-go-round?"
From Hills of the Shatemuc by Warner, Susan
I'm on the good old Merry-go-round again, and if it doesn't whack up to the limit of its speed I'll know the reason why.
From Who Cares? a story of adolescence by Hamilton, Cosmo
We left Merry-go-round Island revolving gracefully upon a tiny reef whence it was borne by the rising tide.
From Pee-Wee Harris Adrift by Fitzhugh, Percy Keese
And now the wandering career of Merry-go-round Island seemed at last to have ended and it roamed no more over the face of the waters.
From Pee-Wee Harris Adrift by Fitzhugh, Percy Keese
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
