15 MODAL You use will have with a past participle to indicate that you are fairly sure that something is the case. □ The holiday will have done him the world of good.
➋ will ◆◆◇ /w I l/ (wills , willing , willed )
1 N‑VAR [oft N to-inf] Will is the determination to do something. □ He was said to have lost his will to live. □ …the inevitable battle of wills as your child realises that he can't have everything he wants.
2 → see also free will
3 N‑SING [with poss] If something is the will of a person or group of people with authority, they want it to happen. □ [+ of ] Democracy responds and adjusts to the will of the people.
4 VERB If you will something to happen, you try to make it happen by using mental effort rather than physical effort. □ [V n to-inf] I looked at the phone, willing it to ring.
5 N‑COUNT A will is a document in which you declare what you want to happen to your money and property when you die. □ Attached to his will was a letter he had written just days before his death.
6 PHRASE If something is done against your will , it is done even though you do not want it to be done. □ No doubt he was forced to leave his family against his will.
7 PHRASE If you can do something at will , you can do it when you want and as much as you want. □ …scientists who can adjust their experiments at will.
will|ful /w I lfʊl/ → see wilful
wil|lie /w I li/ → see willy
will|ing ◆◆◇ /w I l I ŋ/
1 ADJ If someone is willing to do something, they are fairly happy about doing it and will do it if they are asked or required to do it. □ The military now say they're willing to hold talks with the political parties. □ There are, of course, questions which she will not be willing to answer.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Willing is used to describe someone who does something fairly enthusiastically and because they want to do it rather than because they are forced to do it. □ Have the party on a Saturday, when you can get your partner and other willing adults to help.
3 God willing → see god
will-o'-the-wisp /w I l ə ðə w I sp/ (will-o'-the-wisps ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to someone or something that keeps disappearing or that is impossible to catch or reach as a will-o'-the-wisp .
wil|low /w I loʊ/ (willows ) N‑VAR A willow or a willow tree is a type of tree with long branches and long narrow leaves that grows near water. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Willow is the wood of this tree. □ …willow furniture.
wil|lowy /w I loʊi/ ADJ A person who is willowy is tall, thin, and graceful.
will|power /w I lpaʊə r / also will-power , will power N‑UNCOUNT Willpower is a very strong determination to do something. □ His attempts to stop smoking by willpower alone failed.
wil|ly /w I li/ (willies ) also willie N‑COUNT A boy's or man's willy is his penis. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
willy-nilly /w I li n I li/ also willy nilly
1 ADV [usu ADV with v] If something happens to you willy-nilly , it happens whether you like it or not. □ The government were dragged willy-nilly into the confrontation.
2 ADV [usu ADV after v] If someone does something willy-nilly , they do it in a careless and disorganized way, without planning it in advance. □ Clerks bundled papers into files willy-nilly.
wilt /w I lt/ (wilts , wilting , wilted )
1 VERB If a plant wilts , it gradually bends downwards and becomes weak because it needs more water or is dying. □ [V ] The roses wilted the day after she bought them.
2 VERB If someone wilts , they become weak or tired, or lose confidence. □ [V ] She soon wilted in the morning heat. □ [V ] The government wilted in the face of such powerful pressure.
wily /wa I li/ (wilier , wiliest ) ADJ If you describe someone or their behaviour as wily , you mean that they are clever at achieving what they want, especially by tricking people. □ His appointment as prime minister owed much to the wily manoeuvring of the President.
wimp /w I mp/ (wimps ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a wimp , you disapprove of them because they lack confidence or determination, or because they are often afraid of things. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
wimp|ish /w I mp I ʃ/ ADJ Wimpish means the same as wimpy . [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
wimpy /w I mpi/ ADJ If you describe a person or their behaviour as wimpy , you disapprove of them because they are weak and seem to lack confidence or determination. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a wimpy unpopular schoolboy. □ This portrays her as wimpy, but she has a very strong character.
win ◆◆◆ /w I n/ (wins , winning , won )
1 VERB If you win something such as a competition, battle, or argument, you defeat those people you are competing or fighting against, or you do better than everyone else involved. □ [V n] He does not have any realistic chance of winning the election. □ [V ] The top four teams all won. □ [V amount] Konta won 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. ● N‑COUNT Win is also a noun. □ …Arsenal's dismal league run of eight games without a win.
2 VERB If something wins you something such as an election, competition, battle, or argument, it causes you to defeat the people competing with you or fighting you, or to do better than everyone else involved. □ [V n n] That sort of gain for Labour is nothing like good enough to win them the general election.