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

As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

The Tigers had a roller-coaster season but finished strong with back-to-back wins, including a commanding 37-17 victory over Oklahoma in their finale. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024

Noun

The iconic Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster will close in September 2025 to make way for a new attraction, Universal Studios Florida announced in a post on X, formerly Twitter. —George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024

But the roller coaster that has been Denver’s offense for much of the past month took its latest dip at the wrong time. —Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 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