willy-nilly
Americanadverb
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in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.
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whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly.
He'll have to do it willy-nilly.
adjective
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shilly-shallying; vacillating.
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disorganized, unplanned; sloppy.
willy-nilly work.
adverb
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whether desired or not
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haphazardly
adjective
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occurring or taking place whether desired or not
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occurring haphazardly
Etymology
Origin of willy-nilly
Explanation
Something that happens willy-nilly is random or haphazard. If you put your clothes away willy-nilly, it'll take forever to find two matching socks. This adverb is perfect for describing something done without any planning, like when the neighborhood kids grab instruments and parade willy-nilly up and down streets and through people's backyards. Willy-nilly comes from the obsolete phrase will I, nill I, or "I am willing, I am unwilling." The original definition, "whether one likes it or not," gradually evolved into today's meaning. Along the way, variations on willy-nilly included "nilly-willy," "willing, nilling," and "William nilliam."
Vocabulary lists containing willy-nilly
"To Build a Fire," Vocabulary from the short story
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Woodsong
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Byrd and Igloo: A Polar Adventure
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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.
For a while, companies like Apple wouldn’t let app developers run all willy nilly with the power to request our attention at any moment of the day.
From The Verge • Aug. 5, 2022
Sanders, when asked about the postponement of Louisiana's primary, told reporters that "elections are the bedrock of our democracy and we don’t want to be delaying elections on a willy nilly basis."
From Fox News • Mar. 13, 2020
Toasters would fly around the room willy nilly, maybe a mummy would start breakdancing.
From The Guardian • Oct. 15, 2019
So there is something, the frenzy of the clear, when you just get so excited by seeing all this outer order come out that you just start throwing away things willy nilly.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2019
Then Wang Lung perceived suddenly out of his astonishment that all these men seized were as ignorant as he as to why they were thus being taken, willy nilly, whether they would or not.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
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.
