willy-nilly

adverb or adjective

wil·​ly-nil·​ly ˌwi-lē-ˈni-lē How to pronounce willy-nilly (audio)
1
: by compulsion : without choice
2
: in a haphazard or spontaneous manner

Examples of willy-nilly in a Sentence

they were in a hurry, so they just tossed everything into the room willy-nilly, leaving it to be all sorted out later
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, while willy-nilly scrubbing is ill-advised, there is more than one way to clean stainless steel. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 July 2025 Key decisions get deferred indefinitely, critical risks get accepted willy-nilly, and responsible officers lack visibility into their blind spots. Phillimon Zongo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025 Beyoncé and Jay-Z don’t collect real estate willy-nilly the way some billionaires do. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 May 2025 Bubbly is also one of those few things that should never be ordered willy-nilly. Jeff Burkhart, Mercury News, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for willy-nilly

Word History

Etymology

alteration of will I nill I or will ye nill ye or will he nill he

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of willy-nilly was in 1608

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Willy-nilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/willy-nilly. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

willy-nilly

adverb or adjective
wil·​ly-nil·​ly
ˌwil-ē-ˈnil-ē
1
: by force : without choice
rushed us along willy-nilly
2
: in an unpredictable manner
children running about willy–nilly
Etymology

an altered form of the phrase will I nill I or will ye nill ye; nill, an ancient negative form of will, from Old English nyllan, a combination of ne "not" and wyllan "to wish, will"

More from Merriam-Webster on willy-nilly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!