roller coaster
ROH-ler KOH-ster
/ˈroʊlər ˈkoʊstər/
An amusement ride consisting of a light railway track with many tight turns and steep slopes on which people ride in open cars.
Refers specifically to the track-based ride with gravity-driven drops, but is frequently used metaphorically to describe situations with wild emotional or financial fluctuations.
The story behind the word. Originates from early designs in the 1880s where cars rolled on tracks over wooden rollers, combined with the concept of coasting, which means moving by gravity without engine power.
Word relationships
- wild ride: Wild ride is highly informal and can refer to any exciting experience, whereas roller coaster specifically implies rapid ups and downs.
- monotonous path: Monotonous path implies a flat, unchanging journey with no excitement or variation.
Commonly confused with
- carousel: A carousel is a slow, gentle, circular ride, whereas a roller coaster is fast, linear, and filled with steep drops.
Word family
- roller coasters (noun): plural of roller coaster
Collocations
- ride a roller coaster
- wooden roller coaster
- steel roller coaster
- emotional roller coaster
Idioms & expressions
- emotional roller coaster
Example sentences
- "The park's newest wooden roller coaster features a terrifying ninety-degree drop." Describing a theme park visit
- "The stock market has been a roller coaster this week, leaving investors highly anxious." Figurative use describing a business venture
Memory hook
Picture a giant rolling pin coasting down a massive hill of dough. Roll and coast down the tracks.
When not to use
Do not use to describe flat, spinning rides or water slides that do not utilize a track system.
Fun facts
- The earliest ancestors of roller coasters were 15th-century Russian ice slides, which were reinforced with wooden supports and sprayed with water to keep them frozen.
Explore more words
locomotive, slalom, turnstile, derailment, velodrome, escalator
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