willy-nilly

American  

[wil-ee-nil-ee] / ˈwɪl iˈnɪl i /

adverb

1. in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.

2. whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly.

   He'll have to do it willy-nilly.

---

adjective

1. shilly-shallying; vacillating.

2. disorganized, unplanned; sloppy.

   willy-nilly work.

willy-nilly British  

/ ˌwɪlɪˈnɪlɪ /

adverb

1. whether desired or not

2. haphazardly

---

adjective

1. occurring or taking place whether desired or not

2. occurring haphazardly

Etymology

Origin of willy-nilly

1600–10; from the phrase will ye, nill ye. See will ¹, nill

Example Sentences

Are top-drawer college football teams and their name, image and likeness collectives simply trying to protect themselves from willy-nilly transfers or are they bullying players to stay put with threats of lawsuits?

From Los Angeles Times

People are no longer buying AI stocks willy-nilly.

From Barron's

It was enough to make a person feel no more than a speck, a scrap of flotsam or jetsam tossing in the waves, to be cast willy-nilly into such an unimaginable expanse.

From Literature

Even when we think we know what is likely to happen, surprises tend to pop up willy-nilly—what?

From Literature

Her mind raced, and her words tumbled out willy-nilly.

From Literature

Related Words

• haphazardly