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.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Following the ups and downs of Belly's romance with the Fisher brothers has been a roller-coaster ride with tons of twists, turns and loop-the-loops. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Noun

Failing to do so will result in extreme price swings that may cause shareholders to rule the company out all together, preferring not to ride that roller coaster of emotion. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025

As Laurie, Coon took fans on a roller coaster ride of a girls' trip on the third season of The White Lotus. —Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1940, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roller-coaster

• paternoster
• coaster
• poster
• roaster
• toaster

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