1.
thrill ride; scream machine; extreme amusement park ride
An amusement park ride designed to be thrilling and frightening, such as roller coasters, free-fall towers, and spinning rides. The name literally means 'screaming machine.'
A Japanese-coined compound combining 絶叫 (screaming) with the English loanword マシン (machine). This term is the standard way to refer to extreme amusement park rides in Japanese, encompassing roller coasters, drop towers, pendulum rides, and similar attractions.
Common collocations
- 絶叫マシンに乗る: to ride a thrill ride
- 絶叫マシンが好き: to like thrill rides
- 絶叫マシンが苦手: to be bad with thrill rides
- 世界一の絶叫マシン: the world's greatest thrill ride
Cultural note
Japan has world-renowned thrill rides, particularly at Fuji-Q Highland (富士急ハイランド) and Universal Studios Japan. Discussing one's tolerance for 絶叫マシン is a common conversation topic, especially when planning group outings to amusement parks.