yo-yo
yo-yo Lexical Profile
• noun
A toy consisting of two connected disks with a string wound around the axle, which is made to fall and rise by unwinding and rewinding the string.
"The child spent hours in the park trying to perform a complex trick with his wooden yo-yo."
A person or thing that repeatedly changes position, state, or opinion; something that fluctuates rapidly.
"The local housing market has been a yo-yo recently, making it difficult for first-time buyers to plan ahead."
• verb
To fluctuate or alternate rapidly and repeatedly between two states, positions, or levels.
"Her weight yo-yoed for years before she finally established a sustainable and healthy lifestyle."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Popularized in the 1920s as a trademarked name for the toy, derived from the Ilocano word 'yóyo' or a similar term in a related Philippine language.