Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nill

/nɪl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.03 in modern English

Syllables
nill
IPA
/nɪl/
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive).

Obsolete

verb

To be unwilling.

Archaic; Intransitive verb

verb

To reject, refuse, negate.

Archaic; Transitive verb

noun

Shining sparks thrown off from melted brass.

noun

Scales of hot iron from the forge.

noun

Synonym of zinc oxide, particularly white forms used in medicine and cosmetics.

Obsolete; Uncountable

name

A surname.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English nillen, from Old English nyllan (“to not want”), corresponding to ne + will. Cognate with Old Frisian nelle. Not directly related to Latin nolo, which is an independent construction of the same manner, but the morphemes that compound both verbs are cognates.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.

Inflected Forms

nills (present, singular) nilling (participle, present) nilled (participle, past) nilled (past) nould (obsolete, participle) nould (obsolete, past) Nills (plural)

Phrases

willy-nilly

Synonyms

zinc oxide particularly white forms used in medicine and cosmetics

Homonyms

nil Nill

Rhymes With

will still until bill kill hill till ill fill brazil skill mill

Questions

How do you pronounce nill?
The recorded pronunciation is /nɪl/.
What does nill mean?
To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive).
Where does nill come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce nill

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “nill”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/nɪl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “nill”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “nill” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.