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.
You can’t blame him, when his supply chain would be vulnerable to willy-nilly tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
People are no longer buying AI stocks willy-nilly.
From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025
“But at the same time, they can’t just pass the costs on to consumers willy-nilly without thinking about the impact on competition.”
From MarketWatch • Nov. 12, 2025
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.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2025
But the cedar waxwings didn’t just descend on the tree willy-nilly.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
