rollercoaster ride
1
4.0
- noun
- /ˈroʊlərˌkoʊstər raɪd/
:
montaña rusa emocional
- Watching the political debate was like a rollercoaster ride, with wild twists and intense shifts in emotion.
Examples
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Damn rollercoaster ride.
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The Chávez years have been a rollercoaster ride for the opposition.
Blog text (24) -
Their relationship was a true rollercoaster ride, filled with ups and downs that left them both exhausted.
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The job search turned into a rollercoaster ride, with moments of hope followed by swift rejections.
Synonyms
33
3.4
A situation with sudden extreme changes in mood or luck
15
3.6
An exciting, fast attraction at an amusement park like a roller coaster
12
3.5
A situation with many sudden highs and lows in feelings
A situation with many sudden big changes in feelings and events
Antonyms
How Turbulent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The metaphor is directly motivated by the literal image: a 'rollercoaster' has sudden ups and downs and 'ride' denotes an experience, so combining them yields an experience with emotional or situational highs and lows. This mapping is transparent and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the figurative meaning.
Etymology
Rollercoaster ride comes from the real rollercoaster ride at a fair or park, where the car goes up high, then falls and turns very quickly. Because of those sudden 'ups and downs', people call a time of many sudden or big changes in feelings or luck a rollercoaster ride.