willies

word

Definition

A feeling of nervous fear, unease, or discomfort, usually caused by something creepy, scary, or disturbing.

Usage & Nuances

'The willies' is informal, mainly used to describe a sudden, uneasy, creepy feeling. Often used with 'give (someone) the willies'. Not used for regular fear—it's specific to things that feel spooky, disgusting, or unsettling. Mostly used in the plural.

Spanish: escalofríos (de miedo) - repelús - yuyu Portuguese (BR): arrepio (de medo) - nervoso - calafrios (de medo)Portuguese (PT): arrepio (de medo) - nervosismo - calafrios (de medo)Chinese (Simplified): 发毛 (害怕或恶心时)Chinese (Traditional): 發毛（害怕或噁心時）Hindi: डर का अहसास - अजीब सा डर Arabic: قشعريرة (من الخوف أو الاشمئزاز)Bengali: গা ছমছমানি - গায়ে কাঁটা দেওয়া (ভয় বা অস্বস্তি থেকে)Russian: мурашки (от страха) - неприятное чувство Japanese: ぞっとする感じ - 気味の悪さ Vietnamese: cảm giác rùng mình - nổi da gà (vì sợ hoặc rợn)Korean: 소름끼침 - 으스스함 Turkish: ürperti - tüyleri diken diken etme Urdu: سہماہٹ - عجیب سا خوف Indonesian: merinding - perasaan tidak enak

Example Sentences

Spiders give me the willies.

basic

That dark house gave us the willies.

basic

Horror movies always give him the willies.

basic

I can't watch that video—it totally gives me the willies.

natural

Just thinking about snakes gives me the willies.

natural

That creepy doll in the corner gives everyone the willies.

natural