English Reference

Word

willie

Phoneticswillie

US/ˈwɪɫi/

UK/wˈɪli/

Definitions

01a name

A1

n. a short or friendly name for a man named William.

n. a diminutive form of the male given name William, frequently used as a familiar address or nickname.

“Everyone in the village knew old Willie, who had lived there for eighty years.”

“The biography explores how Willie, as he was known to his family, eventually transformed into the formidable statesman William Gladstone.”

Synonyms

02body part

B2

n. a word used by children or parents for the penis.

n. a colloquial and often childish term for the penis. This spelling is an alternative to 'willy'.

“The little boy told his mother that he needed to wash his willie in the bath.”

“The author uses 'willie' to maintain a juvenile perspective throughout the opening chapters of the memoir.”

British English · Informal

Usage

Usually used in a domestic or parental context; can sound overly childish or slightly embarrassing in adult conversation.

Teaching tip

This is the standard British 'nursery' term. In American English, 'pee-pee' or 'wiener' is more common for this specific register.

Synonyms

Etymology

From Will + -ie.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference