willies

Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.

wil·lies

(wĭl′ēz)

pl.n. Slang

Feelings of uneasiness. Often used with the: The dark, dank cave gave me the willies.

[Origin unknown.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

willies

(ˈwɪlɪz)

pl n

the willies slang nervousness, jitters, or fright (esp in the phrase give (or get) the willies)

[C20: of unknown origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

wil•lies

(ˈwɪl iz)

n.pl.

nervousness or fright; jitters (usu. prec. by the).

[1895–1900, Amer.; orig. obscure; compare -s³]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

willies - feelings of uneasiness; "that guy gave me the willies"

disquietude, edginess, inquietude, uneasiness - feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

willies

noun

Slang. A state of nervous restlessness or agitation:

fidget (often used in plural), jitter (used in plural), jump (used in plural), shiver (used in plural), tremble (often used in plural).

Informal: all-overs, shake (used in plural).

Slang: heebie-jeebies, jim-jams.

Translations

fifa

willies

[ˈwɪlɪz] NPL it gives me the willies → me da horror
I get the willies whenever I think about it → me horroriza pensar en ello

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

willies

pl (inf) to get the willies → Zustände kriegen (inf); it/he gives me the willies → da/bei dem wird mir ganz anders (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

willies

[ˈwɪlɪz] npl (fam) it gives me the willies → mi fa venire i brividi

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Bert gives me the willies the way he's always lookin' for trouble.

View in context

Him and brother also play 'swords' with who th his b their erect willies. The brother got really upset on one occasion because his was hurting, and when my friend asked him if it hurt all the time, he replied, 'Not all the time, only when I strum it like an electric guitar.'

Is it wine o'clock yet? The trials and tribulations of getting through the day as a working mum

And as soon as his pounds 5,000 grant is rubber-stamped he will buy in all his stock and Willies Garden and Pet Supplies will be open for business.