yo-yo

noun
UK: /ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/
US: /ˈjoʊ.joʊ/

  1. A toy consisting of a spool with a string attached, which can be made to wind up and down by its own momentum and gravity.

    1. He played with his yo-yo in the park.
    2. The child spent hours mastering tricks with the yo-yo, practicing diligently in their room.

  2. A situation that repeatedly rises and falls or changes from one state to another.

    1. The stock market tends to yo-yo a lot these days.
    2. Her emotions seemed to yo-yo between hope and despair as she awaited the test results.

Synonyms

seesaw fluctuate oscillate waver
yo-yo intransitive-verb

  1. To move up and down or back and forth repeatedly.

    1. The stock prices yo-yoed all day.
    2. The small boat yo-yoed on the waves during the storm as it went up and down rapidly.

  2. To repeatedly change from one state or situation to another.

    1. His weight tended to yo-yo after each diet.
    2. The company's profits yo-yoed dramatically throughout the year because of seasonal sales.
yo-yo transitive-verb

  1. To cause to move up and down or back and forth repeatedly.

    1. The puppeteer yo-yoed the marionette's arms.
    2. The ringmaster yo-yoed the spotlight on the performers during the grand finale of the show.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "yo-yo" in English means: A toy consisting of a spool with a string attached, which can be made to wind up and down by its own momentum and gravity., A situation that repeatedly rises and falls or changes from one state to another..

The phonetic transcription of "yo-yo" is /ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/ in British English and /ˈjoʊ.joʊ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "yo-yo": seesaw, fluctuate, oscillate, waver.

Example usage of "yo-yo": "He played with his yo-yo in the park.". More examples on the page.