roller-coaster

1 of 2

adjective

roll·​er-coast·​er ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər 

ˈrō-lə-ˌkō-

: marked by numerous ups and downs

an entertainer's roller-coaster career

roller coaster

2 of 2

noun

roll·​er coast·​er ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər 

ˈrō-lē-ˌkō-

1

: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) constructed with sharp curves and steep inclines on which cars roll

2

: something resembling a roller coaster

especially : behavior, events, or experiences characterized by sudden and extreme changes

an emotional roller coaster

Examples of roller-coaster in a Sentence

Noun

We went for a ride on the roller coaster.

The divorce was an emotional roller coaster for both of them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Adam Neumann’s WeWork roller-coaster ride is finally finished. —Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 28 May 2024

Bitcoin prices have been on a roller-coaster ride over the past few months. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024

Noun

The survey ranked parks based on the number of roller coaster offerings, size and speed of the rides, giving scores that total 100. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024

Like an obituary section with no HIV deaths, a day with no COVID deaths is merely a symbolic moment in a pandemic’s roller coaster timeline, statistically likely to happen once the average daily deaths drop low enough, but noteworthy nonetheless. —Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1940, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

roller coaster

noun

roll·​er coast·​er ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər 

ˈrō-lē-ˌkō-

: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) with sharp curves and steep slopes on which cars roll