Willis

[ wil-is ]

/ ˈwɪl ɪs /

Save This Word!

noun

a male given name, form of William.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

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.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby Willis

Willingdon, Willingham, willing horse, willingly, willingness, Willis, Williston, williwaw, Willkie, will-less, Willmar City

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

How to use Willis in a sentence

If you look at international retirement ages in the late 1950s, Willis says, you won’t notice much variance.
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 25, 2021|Freakonomics
None of this surprised Willis very much, nor are these findings particularly robust.
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 25, 2021|Freakonomics
Willis is fairly confident the effect is causal — that retirement leads to lower cognitive levels.
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 25, 2021|Freakonomics
Willis got curious about the correlations he might find in this data.
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 25, 2021|Freakonomics

We asked Willis whether boredom might have anything to do with the mental-retirement effect.
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 25, 2021|Freakonomics
“We had a document about how much cocaine we needed to see as their supply dwindled down,” says producer Willis.
‘Archer’ Season 6 Preview: Cast and Crew on Rebranding and Dropping ISIS|Marlow Stern|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when Tarantino cast Travolta, he thought Willis would make a good Butch Coolidge.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary|Marlow Stern|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Joan Leonard puts the set on, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd are yelling at each other on Moonlighting.
Elmore Leonard’s Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune|Mike Lupica|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the set, Bruce Willis goes into the bathroom and shuts the door.
Elmore Leonard’s Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune|Mike Lupica|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Willis, through a representative, declined to revisit the topic for this article.
Can Suze Orman Save America?|Adam Auriemma|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The pneumatic action used by Willis, Cavaill-Coll and a score of other builders leaves little to be desired.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
As before stated, Cavaill-Coll and Willis worked as pioneers in perfecting and in introducing the pneumatic action.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
To Willis, however, must be attributed greater advance in the utilization of heavy pressures for reed work.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Willis introduced into his organs pneumatic thumb-pistons about the year 1851.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Willis founded a new school of reed voicing and exerted an influence that will never die.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for Willis

Willis

/ (ˈwɪlɪs) /

noun

Norman (David). born 1933, British trade union leader; general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (1984–93)

Ted. Baron Willis of Chislehurst. 1918–92, British author. His works include the play Hot Summer Night (1959) and the novel Death May Surprise Us (1974)

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