willies
[ wil-eez ]
noun(used with a plural verb)Informal.
Usually the willies . nervousness or fright; the jitters; the creeps: That horror movie gave me the willies.
Origin of willies
1An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; origin obscure; cf. -s3
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for willies
willies
/ (ˈwɪlɪz) /
pl n
the willies slang nervousness, jitters, or fright (esp in the phrase give (or get) the willies)
Origin of willies
1C20: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with willies
willies
see under the creeps.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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