frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

zealous, Colloq game: Albert might not have thought up the
pranks, but he was a willing accomplice.
willingly adv. readily, happily, contentedly, gladly, cheerfully,
amenably, agreeably, freely, passively, docilely, of (one's) own
accord or free will, on (one's) own, ungrudgingly, by choice,
voluntarily, unhesitatingly, nothing loath, eagerly,
enthusiastically, zealously, avidly, Colloq at the drop of a
hat: We did not coerce him in any way - he went along quite
willingly. You can rely on Hubert to give willingly and
generously to support any good cause.
willowy adj. 1 lissom or lissome, pliant, lithe, flexible, supple,
limber, loose-limbed: Everyone enjoys watching the willowy
athletes training for the Olympics. 2 slim, slender, graceful,
sylphlike, svelte, thin, long-limbed, clean-limbed: How does
Jeanne keep her willowy figure without dieting?
willy-nilly
adv. 1 whether one likes it or not, inevitably, necessarily, of
necessity, perforce, whether or no, like it or not, nolens
volens, bon gr‚, mal gr‚: Having borrowed the money, you must,
willy-nilly, repay it.
--adj. 2 necessary, unavoidable, inevitable, involuntary: He
joked about a willy-nilly choice, meaning one offering no
alternatives.
wilt v. 1 sag, droop, wither, shrink, shrivel (up or away),
diminish: My house-plants wilted because they weren't watered.
2 sag, droop, bow, weaken, sink, wane, wither, lose courage or
nerve, flag, dwindle, languish: The lad wilted under the stern
glare of the headmaster.
wily adj. shrewd, cunning, crafty, sly, artful, guileful, clever,
foxy, vulpine, disingenuous, shifty, scheming, plotting,
calculating, designing, sharp, canny, deceitful, deceiving,
deceptive, treacherous, perfidious, false, double-dealing,
dishonest, underhand(ed), tricky, smooth, slick, slippery, oily,
unctuous, Scots and No. Eng. pawky, Colloq cagey, crooked,
two-timing, Slang chiefly Brit fly: Rats are wily and cunning,
and have to be taken seriously.