roller coaster
42
1.6
- noun
- /ˈroʊlər ˈkoʊstər/
:
montaña rusa
- The roller coaster features thrilling drops and sharp turns that provide an exciting ride.
- a roller coaster ride
Look, a roller coaster ride without ups and downs is no fun.
- Look, a roller coaster ride without ups and downs is no fun.
- Or it could be that you're on the jet fighter roller coaster and your buddy beside you is on the jungle theme fun park roller coaster.
- Either way, the roller coaster does finish and you can do things to prepare so that it is more enjoyable for you.
- So you can buy a, you can have theme park roller coaster, stuff like that.
- You go on a roller coaster?
Examples
-
You know, I like to ride roller coasters at an amusement park.
-
It is unlike anything you have ever seen, so if you want to strap on your seat belt and go on a roller coaster, I suggest that you check it out.
-
Who wants to go on that roller coaster?
-
- I want to ride the roller coaster.
-
We'll ride on the roller coaster till we throw up.
-
Are there any more pictures from the roller coaster?
-
She wants to go on a roller coaster.
-
Oh, if there's one ride we should go on, it's the roller coaster.
-
Now understand, I love roller coasters, and the wilder the ride, the better.
Fiction book (1996) -
Most of the injuries occurred from being tossed around during the wild roller coaster ride down into the clouds.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
290
2.0
A machine at an amusement park that people sit on for fun
How Thrilling
Surface Forms
Morphology
roller + coaster
The figurative sense 'a situation of sudden or extreme changes' relies on the image of the amusement-park ride and is not transparently built from 'roller' (a cylinder) + 'coaster' (unclear or unrelated to the metaphor). Because the constituents do not compose predictably into the intended meaning and many languages use different terms for the ride, a B1 learner who only knows the parts would likely not infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Roller coaster gets its name from the way cars roll over tall hills and then coast down quickly. That strong image of rolling and coasting over steep slopes fits the fast, up-and-down amusement ride.