willy-nilly

形容词 adj. 副词 adv.
中文释义
英 /ˌwɪl.iːˈnɪl.iː/    美 /ˌwɪl.iːˈnɪl.iː/|/ˌwɪl.iˈnɪl.i/

英文释义

形容词 adj.
  1. That happens whether willingly or unwillingly.
    — [S]omeone saw thy willy-nilly nun / Vying a tress against our golden fern.
  2. Seemingly random; haphazard; arbitrary.
副词 adv.
  1. 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.
  2. Seemingly at random; haphazardly. idiomatic
    — The novel Alice in Wonderland describes a place where things happen willy-nilly.

词形变化

more willy-nilly comparative most willy-nilly superlative willy nilly alternative more willy-nilly comparative most willy-nilly superlative willy nilly alternative

词源

词源 1
From will I, nill I (“if I want, if I don't want”); also as will he, nill he and will ye, nill ye. See will (“to desire, to wish, to be willing”), nill (“to not desire, to not wish, to be unwilling”). Compare Latin velim nōlim (“if I desire it or not”, “willy nilly”).
Compare English harum-scarum of the same meaning.
词源 2
From will I, nill I (“if I want, if I don't want”); also as will he, nill he and will ye, nill ye. See will (“to desire, to wish, to be willing”), nill (“to not desire, to not wish, to be unwilling”). Compare Latin velim nōlim (“if I desire it or not”, “willy nilly”).
Compare English harum-scarum of the same meaning.
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