yo-yo

1 of 3

noun

ˈyō-(ˌ)yō 

plural yo-yos

1

: a thick grooved double disk with a string attached to its center axle that is made to fall and rise to the hand by unwinding and rewinding on the string

2

: a condition or situation marked by regular fluctuations from one extreme to another

3

: a stupid or foolish person

yo-yo

2 of 3

adjective

: shifting back and forth or up and down uncertainly or unexpectedly

yo-yo

3 of 3

verb

yo-yoed; yo-yoing

intransitive verb

: to move from one position to another repeatedly : fluctuate

the stock price yo-yoed

Synonyms

Noun

• berk [British]
• booby
• charlie [British]
• charley
• cuckoo
• ding-a-ling
• ding-dong
• dingbat
• dipstick
• doofus [slang]
• featherhead
• fool
• git [British]
• goose
• half-wit
• jackass
• lunatic
• mooncalf
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• nut
• nutcase
• simp
• simpleton
• turkey

Examples of yo-yo in a Sentence

Noun

some yo-yo cut the electricity off while I still had unsaved data

those yo-yos who insist upon using their cell phones while speeding down the highway

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

What followed was the kind of yo-yo, tension-and-release breathtaking suspense that sporting events can sometimes supply. —Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024

Kamala Harris has been on a yo-yo string with Democratic Party bigwigs since that cataclysmic debate performance catapulted her boss out of a sure 2024 nomination. —Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 July 2024

Adjective

Related: It’s been a yo-yo season for the Bruins’ Jakub Lauko. —Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023

Verb

Michigan gas prices continue to yo-yo, falling more than a dime in the last week to a statewide average of $3.60 a gallon for regular unleaded, as motorists pay about $54 for a 15-gallon tank, as crude oil prices fall, according to AAA auto club. —Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Ilocano yóyo, or a cognate word in a language of the Philippines

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1932, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1967, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

yo-yo

noun

ˈyō-ˌyō

plural yo-yos

1

: a thick divided disk that is made to fall and rise to the hand by unwinding and rewinding on a string

2

: fool entry 1 sense 1