willy-nilly
adverb or adjective
\
Definition of willy-nilly
1 : by compulsion : without choice
2 : in a haphazard or spontaneous manner
Synonyms & Antonyms for willy-nilly
Synonyms
aimlessly, anyhow, anyway, anywise, desultorily, erratically, haphazard, haphazardly, helter-skelter, hit or miss, irregularly, randomly
Antonyms
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about willy-nilly
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Bated', 'Shod', 'Boon', and 7 Other...
'Bated', 'Shod', 'Boon', and 7 Other Fossil Words
When old words show up in modern English
Dictionary Entries near willy-nilly
Statistics for willy-nilly
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for willy-nilly
The first known use of willy-nilly was in 1608
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for willy-nilly
willy-nilly
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of willy-nilly
: in a careless and unplanned way
: in a way that does not allow any choices or planning
See the full definition for willy-nilly in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on willy-nilly
What made you want to look up willy-nilly? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share willy-nilly
Resources for willy-nilly