1 B1 neutral
(Of time or events) to continue passing or progressing.
"As the years rolled on, he began to look back on his youth with nostalgia."
roll on
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To continue moving or passing, or used as an exclamation wishing a future time would arrive sooner.
In plain English
For time or events to keep going, OR to say 'I can't wait for something to happen!'
What does "roll on" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(British, exclamation) Used to express a wish that a future time or event would arrive sooner.
"Roll on payday — I've been surviving on toast all week!"
3 B1 neutral
To apply something (such as deodorant or paint) using a rolling applicator.
"He rolled on some deodorant quickly before leaving the house."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To continue rolling forward — transparent for the physical/temporal sense.
Actually means
For time or events to keep going, OR to say 'I can't wait for something to happen!'
Usage tip
The exclamatory use 'Roll on Friday!' (British English) expresses impatience for something to arrive. 'Roll-on' (hyphenated or one word) also describes a type of deodorant applicator or a roll-on/roll-off ferry. The product sense requires knowing the hyphenated noun form. Time 'rolling on' is a literary and neutral expression.
Words that pair with "roll on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time years Friday holidays summer deodorant ferry
How to conjugate "roll on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
roll on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rolls on
he/she/it
Past simple
rolled on
yesterday
Past participle
rolled on
have + pp
-ing form
rolling on
continuous
Hear "roll on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "roll on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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