as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
they were in a hurry, so they just tossed everything into the room willy-nilly, leaving it to be all sorted out later
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of willy-nilly
Who wants one’s neighbors to build willy-nilly?
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
But don't just toss them in the fridge willy-nilly.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Many therapists are already willy-nilly entering data about clients and patients into off-the-shelf publicly available LLMs.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
If two divorced women can attend a party, then women will start divorcing willy-nilly.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willy-nilly
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
But don't just toss them in the fridge willy-nilly.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Many therapists are already willy-nilly entering data about clients and patients into off-the-shelf publicly available LLMs.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
If two divorced women can attend a party, then women will start divorcing willy-nilly.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willy-nilly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willy-nilly
randomly
Adverb
-
These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The signature Borderlands loot system is here too, where every single weapon and piece of gear is randomly generated with numerous combinations of unique traits, making gameplay unpredictable and fun.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willy-nilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willy-nilly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share