WILLY-NILLY


Meaning of WILLY-NILLY in English

I. ˈwilēˈnilē, -li...li adverb (or adjective)

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

: by compulsion : without regard to individual inclination : helplessly , inevitably

let the world drift willy-nilly towards disaster — C.P.Romulo

animals … forced together willy-nilly by the action of wind, tidal currents, or waves — W.C.Allee

willy-nilly, the situations in which we use words — I.A.Richards

II. adverb (or adjective)

: in a haphazard or spontaneous manner

boxes heaped willy-nilly

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.