a small gravity railroad, especially in an amusement park, having a train with open cars that moves along a high, sharply winding trestle built with steep inclines that produce sudden, speedy plunges for thrill-seeking passengers.
a car or train of cars for such a railroad.
any phenomenon, period, or experience of persistent or violent ups and downs, as one fluctuating between prosperity and recession or elation and despair.
to go up and down like a roller coaster; rise and fall.
a narrow road roller-coastering around the mountain; a light boat roller-coastering over the waves.
to experience a period of prosperity, happiness, security, or the like, followed by a contrasting period of economic depression, despair, or the like.
The economy was roller-coastering throughout most of the decade.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a roller coaster.
resembling the progress of a ride on a roller coaster in sudden extreme changeableness.
First recorded in 1885–90
First recorded in 1960–65
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And that’s on top of the emotional roller coaster.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Sinner’s victory followed Linda Noskova’s roller coaster triumph over Karolina Muchova in Saturday’s women’s final.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The group's performance reflects the roller coaster ride by cocoa prices over the past five years when it has been buffeted by wars, poor harvests and economic worries in key markets.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
The emotional roller coaster his comments and the subsequent backlash took us on are emblematic of a larger hesitancy and resistance to change.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
It was much wider than the gap in the roller coaster, definitely too far to jump.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Confidence among firms picked up a little this month, though the roller-coaster ride of oil prices in recent weeks suggested the recovery could be fragile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That leaves a place like Lehigh Acres, a unique community that has endured an economic roller-coaster over the decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The second half of the year is here after a roller-coaster first six months.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Netflix investors over the past 12 months, following the company’s aggressive foray into the mergers-and-acquisitions market — namely, its failed effort to acquire Warner Bros.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
We joined the line for the Cyclone, and as we reached the front, the train of roller-coaster cars braked with a loud metallic squeal.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
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.
