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.
Once upon a time, Primm, Nev., had three bustling casino resorts, shiny gas stations, a roller coaster and Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
“While it’s thrilling to be on the roller coaster, knowing when to get off is also part of the adventure,” he says.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
What followed was something of a real estate roller coaster that saw the home spinning on and off the market on several occasions, each time with a lower price tag.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
Opened on Dec. 31 as part of the Six Flags Qiddiya City theme park, the roller coaster ranks as the world’s fastest, tallest and longest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
The idea of making a new friend—a white girl at that—is scary and exciting, like standing in front of a roller coaster, not knowing whether I should get on or stay back.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
