rolling

American  

[roh-ling] / ˈroʊ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the action, motion, or sound of anything that rolls.

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adjective

1. moving by revolving or turning over and over.

2. rising and falling in gentle slopes, as land.

   rolling hills.

3. moving in undulating billows, as clouds or waves.

   Jessica felt a peace steal over her as she watched the rolling waves.

4. rocking or swaying from side to side.

   The rolling movement of the train car lulled most of the passengers to sleep.

5. turning or folding over, as a collar.

6. producing a deep, continuous sound.

   rolling thunder.

7. steadily moving onward in a series of stages.

   a rolling program of renovations.

idioms

1. rolling in (something), luxuriating or abounding in (something, especially money).

   As a nonprofit, the Tandy Academy of Music is not exactly rolling in cash.

2. rolling (in the aisles), (of an audience or audience member) convulsed with laughter: Also in the aisles

   Arden had her audience in tears with one song, then rolling in the aisles with her humor.

rolling British  

/ ˈrəʊlɪŋ /

adjective

1. having gentle rising and falling slopes; undulating

   rolling country

2. progressing or spreading by stages or by occurrences in different places in succession, with continued or increasing effectiveness

   three weeks of rolling strikes disrupted schools

3. subject to regular review and updating

   a rolling plan for overseas development

4. deeply resounding; reverberating

   rolling thunder

5. slang extremely rich

6. that may be turned up or down

   a rolling hat brim

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adverb

1. slang swaying or staggering (in the phrase rolling drunk )

Other Word Forms

• rollingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of rolling

First recorded in 1400–50; Late Middle English; roll, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid planned to regulate social media access for children under the age of 16 by rolling out age-verification checks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

JPMorgan will get the ball rolling on financials next week, with first quarter updates following from the country’s biggest banks, as analysts see sector earnings rising 18% to around $98.5 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

“Deadliest Catch” was reportedly wrapping production on Season 22 when the incident occurred, and cameras were rolling.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

From there, they report, the administration moved to dismantle key access infrastructure, rolling back administrative improvements that had reduced barriers, expanded language access and improved cross-enrollment systems.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

‘Squashed flat,’ gasped Torak, rolling around in the snow.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• hilly
• undulating