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

Related Words

• haphazardly