willy-nilly

adv.

1. Whether desired or not: After her boss fell sick, she willy-nilly found herself directing the project.
2. Without order or plan; haphazardly.

adj.

1. Being or occurring whether desired or not: willy-nilly cooperation.
2. Disordered; haphazard: willy-nilly zoning laws.

[Alteration of will ye ( he), nill ye ( he), be you ( he) willing, be you ( he) unwilling.]

(WIL-ee NIL-ee)
adverb, adjective
1. Whether willing or not.
2. Haphazardly.

Etymology
From contraction of "will ye/he/I nill ye/he/I", from will (to be willing) and nill (to be unwilling)

-nilly

Usage
"[The interns] had been recruited at the last minute by a government summer job program and assigned, willy-nilly, to the aquarium." — David L. Kirp; Diversity and Its Malcontents; The Nation (New York); Apr 21, 2003.

---

adverb

Without regard to desire or inclination: helplessly, involuntarily, perforce. See willing/unwilling.

Dansk (Danish)
adv. - enten man vil eller ej
adj. - enten man vil eller ej

Nederlands (Dutch)
goedschiks of kwaadschiks

Français (French)
adv. - sans soin, n'importe comment, au hasard, bon gré mal gré
adj. - hésitant, sans soin, n'importe comment, au hasard

Deutsch (German)
adv. - wohl oder übel, gezwungenermaßen
adj. - unorganisiert, unordentlich, zögernd

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - εκών-άκων, θέλοντας και μη, με το στανιό

Italiano (Italian)
di controvoglia

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - indeciso

Русский (Russian)
вынужденный, хочешь-не хочешь

Español (Spanish)
adv. - quiera o no quiera, de buen o mal grado, desorganizadamente
adj. - desorganizado, no planeado, vacilante

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - antingen man vill eller inte

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
不管愿不愿意, 乱糟糟地, 不容分辨的, 犹豫不决的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adv. - 不管願不願意, 亂糟糟地
adj. - 不容分辨的, 猶豫不決的

한국어 (Korean)
adv. - 싫든 좋든 간에, 닥치는 대로, 난잡하게
adj. - 어쩔 수 없는, 우유부단한, 닥치는 대로의

日本語 (Japanese)
adv. - いやでもおうでも
adj. - 優柔不断の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) طوعا أو كرها‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adv. - ‮ברצון או שלא ברצון, אם יחפוץ ואם לאו‬
adj. - ‮הססני, מחויב המציאות‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.