willy-nilly

[wil-ee-nil-ee]

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

/ ˌwɪlɪˈnɪlɪ /

adverb

1. whether desired or not

2. haphazardly

adjective

1. occurring or taking place whether desired or not

2. occurring haphazardly

Word History and Origins

Origin of willy-nilly¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of willy-nilly¹

Old English wile hē, nyle hē, literally: will he or will he not; nyle, from ne not + willan to _will ¹

Example Sentences

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.

Read more on Literature

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

Read more on Literature

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

Read more on Literature

“But at the same time, they can’t just pass the costs on to consumers willy-nilly without thinking about the impact on competition.”

Read more on MarketWatch

The President has used that law to impose tariffs willy-nilly, claiming the U.S. trade deficit, fentanyl trafficking, or anything else he can conjure is a “national emergency.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• haphazardly