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
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
When they descended, Nathan’s stomach and lungs dropped like he was on a roller coaster.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
The second half of the year is here after a roller-coaster first six months.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Being a Canadian football supporter, the roller-coaster ride has been downward for most of the years,” said Totera, who pulled on his first Canada soccer shirt the year he entered first grade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Tech stocks went on another roller-coaster ride Tuesday, their second plunge in three sessions, and futures point to more queasiness when trading begins today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
He was explaining his theories about bitcoin’s roller-coaster ride to David Lin, host of an eponymous podcast, and co-host Bonnie Chang in an episode aired Monday.
From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026
The fence clangs and twangs like a weird musical instrument, and the nose of the truck begins to dip forward, revealing a gorge like a roller-coaster drop.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
