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willy-nilly
[wil-ee-nil-ee]
adverb
in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.
whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly.
He'll have to do it willy-nilly.
adjective
shilly-shallying; vacillating.
disorganized, unplanned; sloppy.
willy-nilly work.
willy-nilly
/ ˌwɪlɪˈnɪlɪ /
adverb
whether desired or not
haphazardly
adjective
occurring or taking place whether desired or not
occurring haphazardly
Word History and Origins
Origin of willy-nilly1
Word History and Origins
Origin of willy-nilly1
Example Sentences
This kind of immigration reform has eluded Congress for decades, but a clear-eyed assessment shows that merely welcoming newcomers willy-nilly won’t pay off for most migrants or for California.
Make no mistake: the Trump administration is the instigator here, and not just because they sent ICE in to start nabbing people willy-nilly.
My character is really out there, not out there willy-nilly, but she will yell at people if they are being rude, wasteful or if she feels it’s unjust.
She told him she did not treat the allegation "willy-nilly".
Plus, the West had antibiotics — which spread willy-nilly not just in medications, but in toothpaste, lipstick and, perhaps most dangerously, into farm animals to promote growth.
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