Meaning & use

Nill

verb·Academic

Last updated

An archaic verb meaning "to be unwilling" or "to not wish," the negative counterpart of "will."

See it in a sentence

The old phrase "will he, nill he" meant that a thing would happen whether a person wanted it or not.

In archaic usage, one might say a person "nills" an outcome they strongly oppose.

A note on using this word

"Nill" survives today mainly inside the common word "willy-nilly," which literally means "whether one wants to or not."

Words with a similar meaning

refusebe unwilling

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

willwish

Make it your own

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