51Թ

Advertisement

Advertisement

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
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of willy-nilly1

1600–10; from the phrase will ye, nill ye. See will 1, nill
Discover More

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
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

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

McCullough told police: "When I was hitting her it was like someone badly playing the xylophone, it was willy-nilly."

From

“I’m not saying jump ship willy-nilly, but you do want to make sure that you’re getting the competitive rate,” he said.

From

“There is little data to support these uses, and it’s a really risky proposition to be using this drug willy-nilly to treat these sorts of conditions,” said Alexander, the John Hopkins professor.

From

Advertisement

Related 51Թs

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement