Nill

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Archaic verb meaning to be unwilling or to refuse, used as the opposite of will in phrases like willy-nilly
2. Old word for choosing not to do something, the counterpart of will that appears in expressions such as will he nill he
3. Archaically meaning to be disinclined or to decline, forming the contrast to will in set phrases like willy-nilly

Etymology: Nill comes from Old English "nyllan," meaning "not to want," formed from "ne" (not) and "will." It is the mirror image of "will," and for centuries it was the everyday way to say "be willing or unwilling." Its cousin in Latin, "nolo," was built the same way, though the two languages arrived at their verbs independently. The word survives mainly in the phrase "will he, nill he," meaning "whether he wants to or not." That pairing, with "nill" as a deliberate counterpart to "will," is what keeps it alive in modern English, usually in literary or formal writing.

Synonyms: refuse, decline

Antonyms: will, wish