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; see roll, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Embassy, which had been closed since 2019, workers have been scrubbing mold, rolling out fresh wall-to-wall carpeting and installing new air conditioning units.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

She imagines a massive ball of bills and paper forms rolling around Oakland, following her every move.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

On a rolling three-month basis since 1948, the S&P 500 has been up an average of about 2.2%, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

Netflix recently jumped onto the trend, rolling out big collaborations with McDonald’s this year.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

“It’s not the same on this rolling tin can without you.”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• hilly
• undulating