willies
Americannoun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of willies
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; origin obscure; cf. -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.
But upon closer interrogation, the whole thing gave me the willies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
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 ● Dec. 19, 2022
Granted, discovering that her superfan collected one of her toenails does give the otherwise unflappable spirit a serious case of the willies.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2021
He has happily embraced a form of mass-market fame that gives so many in the fashion industry the willies.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 9, 2020
To clean his pool, and paint his bathroom, and my parents thought it was great, but the dude gave me the willies.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
