will-o'-the-wisp

[ wil-uh-thuh-wisp ]

/ ˈwɪl ə ðəˈwɪsp /

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See synonyms for will-o'-the-wisp on Thesaurus.com

noun

ignis fatuus (def. 1).

anything that deludes or misleads by luring on.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of will-o'-the-wisp

1600–10; originally Will (i.e., William) with the wisp;see wisp

OTHER WORDS FROM will-o'-the-wisp

willo'-the-wispish; especially British, willo'-the-wispy, adjective

Words nearby will-o'-the-wisp

williwaw, Willkie, will-less, Willmar City, will not hear of, will-o'-the-wisp, Willoughby, willow, Willowbrook, willower, willow family

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use will-o'-the-wisp in a sentence

And suddenly Guncotton produced his will-o-the-wisp trick, which completed the illusion.
My Austrian Love|Maxime Provost
No charted coast, no lights but love-light, an that most always turns out to be a will-o-the-wisp, that piles ye up on the rocks.
Cursed|George Allan England
My dungeon is lighted by the will-o-the-wisp alone; no breath of spring cheers the murky solitude in which I dwell.
A History of Chinese Literature|Herbert A. Giles
For what a Will-o-the-wisp are you ready to sacrifice my regard, and all the privileges of your position as my granddaughter!
Phantom Fortune, A Novel|M. E. Braddon

She slipped into a serviceable and grubby pair of overalls, and spent the afternoon in giving Will-o-the-Wisp a thorough grooming.
Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane|Dorothy Wayne

British Dictionary definitions for will-o'-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wisp

/ (ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp) /

noun

Also called: friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern a pale flame or phosphorescence sometimes seen over marshy ground at night. It is believed to be due to the spontaneous combustion of methane or other hydrocarbons originating from decomposing organic matter

a person or thing that is elusive or allures and misleads

Derived forms of will-o'-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wispish or will-o'-the-wispy, adjective

Word Origin for will-o'-the-wisp

C17: originally Will with the wisp, from Will short for William and wisp in former sense of a twist of hay or straw burning as a torch

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

will-o'-the-wisp

Origin of will-o'-the-wisp

OTHER WORDS FROM will-o'-the-wisp

Words nearby will-o'-the-wisp

Words related to will-o'-the-wisp

How to use will-o'-the-wisp in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for will-o'-the-wisp

Derived forms of will-o'-the-wisp

Word Origin for will-o'-the-wisp