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
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
Clinical psychologists Hillary Halpern and Maureen Perry-Jenkins documented that the transition from single life to fatherhood is often accompanied by a roller coaster of emotions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
I asked him if Collins showed any roller coaster of emotions as she watched the returns next to him.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
She lowered the board and saw that below her was a track with metal rails and wooden crossbars—like the roller coaster, but much bigger.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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
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
Arista chief Clive Davis has survived a roller-coaster career to come out on top again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
The team's roller-coaster run this season, with many dramatic wins secured in the final seconds, has reinforced that image.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
Still, she does notice that we’re all snorting and giggling the way you do after surviving an especially scary roller-coaster ride.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
