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.
In October, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42 years old, died after an accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the Georgia location.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
It’s a roller coaster ride from the start, and Pinkleton said he always wants the audience to have a great time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
It’s a good way to put yourself on an emotional roller coaster and a bad way to learn anything definitive about what’s coming tonight.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
"Officers working at the park responded to an incident involving a male guest on a roller coaster," it said in a statement on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
According to this book, I’m supposed to be caught in a whirlwind of teenage emotions, laughing one minute, crying the next, zooming around on a roller coaster, which is their term.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Even with its roller-coaster ride this year, Vertiv’s stock was still up 28.7% in 2026 through Tuesday, while the S&P 500 has advanced 12.8%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Three years later, Kane and Abel, a ripping page-turner about the roller-coaster financial fortunes of two men who initially shared nothing but a date of birth, flew off the shelves.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
But investors are still waiting for Argentina's roller-coaster economy to "prove that what it's doing will actually be sustainable over time," economist Marcelo Elizondo told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Chinese humanoid-robotics companies could face a narrower path to public markets as authorities seek to calm the frenzy that followed robot maker Unitree’s roller-coaster listing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Grace glanced at her mom, the roller-coaster train climbing farther up the track.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
