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.
That Jackson’s ascension by convention counts as normal is less a reflection of the process itself than a product of the preconvention roller coaster ride that brought Democrats to where they are now.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
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
Obviously, I still have more to learn, but I think that was a big Saturn return for me, the roller coaster of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Over time my stories got more and more ridiculous: alligator wrestling in the Everglades in Florida, freak roller coaster accidents, skydiving trips gone wrong.
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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
Confidence among German firms picked up a little this month as expectations for business climbed, though the roller-coaster ride of oil prices in recent weeks suggests that this recovery could be fragile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 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
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
My eardrums pounded as blood pulsed through my brain, calling to mind that roller-coaster ride with Harry so many years before.
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.
