What does "rollercoaster" mean?

An amusement ride consisting of a train on a track that rises, falls, twists and turns.

What is a synonym for "rollercoaster"?

Common synonyms include: big dipper, big dipper, coaster, merry go round, merry-go-round, ride.

Pronounced //ˈɹəʊləˌkəʊstə//.

//ˈɹəʊləˌkəʊstə// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
An amusement ride consisting of a train on a track that rises, falls, twists and turns.
2
A situation characterized by significant fluctuations in direction, emotion or intensity. broadly, figuratively
"Morgan's men reversed their fortunes and swept into the final with three successive victories, including a memorable semi-final demolition of Australia. In the final, the rollercoaster continued, only for the heroics of Stokes to leave England as worthy champions, matching the achievement of the England women's team on the same ground two years ago."

"Culture shock is often described as an emotional rollercoaster."

A univerbation of roller coaster, after the rolling and coasting motions to which the riders are subjected.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.