Synonyms

willies

American

[wil-eez] / ˈwɪl iz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

Usually the willies nervousness or fright; the jitters; the creeps.

That horror movie gave me the willies.

willies British

/ ˈwɪlɪz /

plural noun

slang nervousness, jitters, or fright (esp in the phrase give ( or get ) the willies )

"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

willies Idioms

see under the creeps.

Etymology

Origin of willies

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; origin obscure; -s ³

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.

“What about my dad? Does he give you the germ willies too?”

From Literature

Mr. Musk has said that Instagram “makes people depressed” and that Facebook, also owned by Meta, “gives me the willies.”

From New York Times

My favorite horror movies this year laid off the flashy effects and instead gave me the unshakable willies the unshowy way: with creeping dread and uncertain stillness.

From New York Times

The veg sandwich, in which a salty and steroidal oyster mushroom subs for the bird, just gives me the willies.

From Washington Post

If I hadn’t given myself the willies over the prairie’s nighttime noises, I might have noticed it sooner.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023