yo-yo
Americannoun
plural
yo-yos-
a spoollike toy consisting of two thick wooden, plastic, or metal disks connected by a dowel pin in the center to which a string is attached, one end being looped around the player's finger so that the toy can be spun out and reeled in by wrist motion.
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something that fluctuates or moves up and down, especially suddenly or repeatedly.
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Slang. a stupid, foolish, or incompetent person.
adjective
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a toy consisting of a spool attached to a string, the end of which is held while it is repeatedly spun out and reeled in
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slang a stupid person, esp one who is easily manipulated
verb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of yo-yo
First recorded in 1915–20; of undetermined origin; possibly from Ilocano yóyo or a related language as the name of a Philippine toy
Explanation
A yo-yo is a toy that's made of a string wound around two connected discs. The trick of a yo-yo is to drop the discs to the end of the string and flick them back up into your hand. When you learn to use a yo-yo, you can do tricks that involve the spinning discs and the string's tension. A yo-yo expert can "walk the dog," where the yo-yo rolls along the floor like a dog on a leash, or go "around the world," making a wide circle in the air with the yo-yo before snapping it back up the string to her hand. The word yo-yo appeared around 1915, possibly from a language of the Philippines.
Vocabulary lists containing yo-yo
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They use a "flywheel exercise device," similar to a yo-yo, that can allow for aerobics like rowing as well as provide resistance to perform moves like weighted squats and deadlifts.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
Attacks on Federal Reserve independence, yo-yo tariffs and unpredictable foreign policy had already pushed the greenback close to a multiyear low.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
When she started using the injectable, Winfrey told People she welcomed the arrival of a tool to help her get away from the yo-yo path she’d been on for decades.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025
Sometimes I'm up and down like a yo-yo.
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025
Look at the redheaded, freckled whatnot named Jack, who had a yo-yo in his back pocket but showed such admirable restraint in not even touching it, never once twisting around to play with the string.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
