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Synonyms

willies

American  
[wil-eez] / ˈwɪl iz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

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

    That horror movie gave me the willies.
willies British  
/ ˈwɪlɪz /

plural noun

  1. 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  

  1. see under the creeps.

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

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

From Washington Post • Jul. 5, 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

The neglected coach house that she turns into an art studio is the only comfort she takes in “the Lodge,” the rural Victorian villa that gives her the willies, but that Tom insisted they buy.

From New York Times • Oct. 23, 2020

He’s giving me the willies, and I’m not sure I want to be here anymore.

From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead

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.