51Թ

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View synonyms for

willy-nilly

[wil-ee-nil-ee]

adverb

  1. in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.

  2. whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly.

    He'll have to do it willy-nilly.



adjective

  1. shilly-shallying; vacillating.

  2. disorganized, unplanned; sloppy.

    willy-nilly work.

willy-nilly

/ ˌɪɪˈɪɪ /

adverb

  1. whether desired or not

  2. haphazardly

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. occurring or taking place whether desired or not

  2. occurring haphazardly

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of willy-nilly1

1600–10; from the phrase will ye, nill ye. See will 1, nill
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of willy-nilly1

Old English wile hē, nyle hē, literally: will he or will he not; nyle, from ne not + willan to will 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Make no mistake: the Trump administration is the instigator here, and not just because they sent ICE in to start nabbing people willy-nilly.

From

My character is really out there, not out there willy-nilly, but she will yell at people if they are being rude, wasteful or if she feels it’s unjust.

From

She told him she did not treat the allegation "willy-nilly".

From

Plus, the West had antibiotics — which spread willy-nilly not just in medications, but in toothpaste, lipstick and, perhaps most dangerously, into farm animals to promote growth.

From

These are the people who, despairing of finding their way out honestly, simply smash and bash their way through the corn willy-nilly.

From

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