yo-yo

[ yoh-yoh ]

/ ˈyoʊ yoʊ /

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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.

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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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 related to yo-yo

British Dictionary definitions for yo-yo

Word Origin for yo-yo