yo-yo

[ yoh-yoh ]

/ ˈyoʊ yoʊ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: yo-yo / yo-yoed / yo-yoing / yo-yos on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural yo-yos.

a spoollike toy consisting of two thick wooden, plastic, or metal disks connected by a dowel pin in the center to which a string is attached, one end being looped around the player's finger so that the toy can be spun out and reeled in by wrist motion.

something that fluctuates or moves up and down, especially suddenly or repeatedly.

Slang. a stupid, foolish, or incompetent person.

adjective

Informal. moving up and down or back and forth; fluctuating; vacillating: yo-yo prices; a yo-yo foreign policy.

verb (used without object)

Informal. to move up and down or back and forth; fluctuate or vacillate: Mortgage rates are still yo-yoing.

verb (used with object)

Informal. to cause to yo-yo.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of yo-yo

First recorded in 1915–20; of undetermined origin; possibly from Ilocano yóyo or a related language as the name of a Philippine toy

Words nearby yo-yo

yowe, yowie, yowl, yowler, YoY, yo-yo, yo-yo dieting, Ypres, Y.P.S.C.E., Ypsilanti, ypsilon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use yo-yo in a sentence

The Yo app might have brought “one-bit” communication to the public attention, but the Apple Watch thrives on it.
Bigger, Bolder, and Better Than Ever: Steve Jobs Would Be Proud of Today's Apple|Kyle Chayka|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Garrett discusses being stop-lossed, which is a psychological yo-yo that really screwed him up.
Soledad O'Brien's Next Chapter: 'The War Comes Home,' Her CNN Departure, and the State of News|Marlow Stern|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I yo AIRGORDON and the rest of my Yo friends when I wake up for no discernible reason, other than to assert my existence.
The Zen of Yo|Dale Eisinger|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I can tap and tap and tap and yo and yo and yo, contemplating or not contemplating the inanity that is this life.
The Zen of Yo|Dale Eisinger|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I yo my friend BOIBLOG about 15 times on the way to the train station.
The Zen of Yo|Dale Eisinger|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An' if any of yo' uns insinuates I am afraid, yo' uns will have to settle with Josh Hicks, an' that mighty quick.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Just then Hicks caught sight of Duncan, and yelled: "Bill, did yo' un meet a party of about a dozen men a few minutes ago?"
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
"I'll bet yo 'un a hoss I ken put a ball through that Yank's heart at fifty paces," he roared.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Yo warnt one ob de oberflowin kind, Miss Annie, admitted the old black woman.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
When he saw Harry he stopped and his hand went to his belt, "Who be yo' un," he growled, "and what do yo' un want?"
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for yo-yo

yo-yo

/ (ˈjəʊjəʊ) /

noun plural -yos

a toy consisting of a spool attached to a string, the end of which is held while it is repeatedly spun out and reeled in

US and Canadian slang a stupid person, esp one who is easily manipulated

verb yo-yos, yo-yoing or yo-yoed (intr)

informal to change repeatedly from one position to another; fluctuate

adjective

informal changing repeatedly; fluctuating

Word Origin for yo-yo

from Filipino yo yo, come come, a weapon consisting of a spindle attached to a thong

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

yo-yo

Origin of yo-yo

Words nearby yo-yo

Words related to yo-yo

How to use yo-yo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for yo-yo

Word Origin for yo-yo