Sekirov Dictionary

willy-nilly

/ˌwɪl.iːˈnɪl.iː/

adjective 2
adverb 2
forms 4

adjective2

(informal) Seemingly random; haphazard; arbitrary.
•
That happens whether willingly or unwillingly.
- [S]omeone saw thy willy-nilly nun / Vying a tress against our golden fern. — 1877

adverb2

•
Whether desired or not; without regard for consequences or wishes of those affected; whether willingly or unwillingly.
- Whenever I see a long handsome neck, willy nilly, the thought will come uppermost—What a capital neck for carving! Those cursed executions! One can't rid one's mind of them. — 1868
•
(informal) Seemingly at random; haphazardly.
- The novel Alice in Wonderland describes a place where things happen willy-nilly.
- Some writers chasing money churn out novels willy-nilly.

forms

more willy nilly · more willy-nilly · most willy nilly · most willy-nilly

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