willy-nilly

Questions about willy-nilly

What is another word for willy-nilly?

It depends which willy-nilly you mean. In the sense “in a random manner”, the synonyms are randomly, indiscriminately, haphazardly, arbitrarily, at random, every which way. Across all 2 senses there are 6 distinct synonyms, and they are not interchangeable with each other — this page lists them under the sense each one belongs to.

What is the opposite of willy-nilly?

WordNet records no antonym for willy-nilly. Antonymy in WordNet is a relation between specific word forms rather than between concepts, so it is recorded only where lexicographers judged the pairing direct. An absence here means none was recorded, not that none can be imagined.

Why are the synonyms for willy-nilly split into groups?

Because willy-nilly carries 2 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.

Does this page cover every sense of willy-nilly?

It covers the 1 sense that carries a synonym, antonym, broader or narrower term. The remaining 1 sense has none recorded, so it is left off a thesaurus page and shown in full on the word page instead.

Where do the synonyms for willy-nilly come from?

From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

Other views of willy-nilly

• Full entry for willy-nillyAll 2 senses, with examples, usage labels, syllables and pronunciation.
• Rhymes for willy-nillyWhether this word can be rhymed at all — it is not in the pronouncing dictionary.
• Thesaurus homeHow WordNet synsets work, and the collections built for synonym work.