with a will
Language: English
Part of speech: prep_phrase
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌwɪθ‿ə ˈwɪl/
rhymes: -ɪl
Etymology: From with + a + will (“firmity of purpose, fixity of intent”), originally often used to refer to rowing a boat vigorously.
Senses: examples: text: «Yes!» muttered the Rover, with bitter irony, as his boat rowed under the stern of the cruiser of the Crown; «yes! I, and my officers, will taste of your banquet! But the viands shall be such as these hirelings of the King shall little relish!—Pull with a will, my men, pull; in an hour, you shall rummage the store-rooms of that fool, for your reward!»
ref: 1827 November 27, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter VIII, in The Red Rover, […], volume III, Paris: […] [Lachevardiere] for Hector Bossange, […], →OCLC, page 179:
text: So Willy and I were wedded: I wore a lilac gown; / And the ringers rang with a will, and he gave the ringers a crown.
ref: 1859 July 16, Alfred Tennyson, “The Grandmother”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], published 1864, →OCLC, stanza XV, page 121:
text: Now, nobody does anything well that they cannot help doing: work is only done well when it is done with a will; and no man has a thoroughly sound will unless he knows he is doing what he should, and is in his place.
ref: 1866, John Ruskin, “Lecture I. Work. (Delivered before the Working Men’s Institute, at Camberwell.)”, in The Crown of Wild Olive. Three Lectures on Work, Traffic, and War, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 44:
text: Swimming with his right arm, he held up his left to hail them, splashing upon the waves, and shouting with all his might. […] Backing their oars and putting the boat about, they pulled towards him with a will, and in five or six minutes from the time of his first halloo, two of the sailors hauled him in over the stern.
ref: 1874, Thomas Hardy, “Adventures by the Shore”, in Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 208:
text: And then the whole crew bore chorus:— / "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" / And at the third "ho!" drove the bars before them with a will.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Voyage”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part II (The Sea Cook), pages 77–78:
text: Under the wide and starry sky, / Dig the grave and let me lie. / Glad did I live and gladly die, / And I laid me down with a will.
ref: 1884 May (date written), Robert Louis Stevenson, “Requiem”, in Underwoods, London: Chatto and Windus, […], published 1887, →OCLC, book I (In English), page 43:
text: Then an impromptu square dance, the men devising original figures. What merriment! Jimmy took his part with a will; this was seeing life, at least.
ref: 1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “After the Race”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 56:
text: Many a reader whose appetite rejoices in hearty fare tucked in his napkin, smacked his lips and fell to with a will.
ref: 1934 March 26, “Books: Hurstwurst [review of Anitra’s Dance (1934) by Fannie Hurst]”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Dec 2020, page 70:
text: He got Jagu's permission to spend the slack afternoon hours at the watchmender's without any trouble – Jagu was taciturn, but good-natured – and he set to learning the craft with a will.
ref: 1982, Anita Desai, chapter 9, in The Village by the Sea, New Delhi; New York, N.Y.: Puffin Books, published 1992, →ISBN, page 174:
synonyms: resolutely
glosses: With willingness and zeal; with all one's heart or strength; earnestly, heartily.
Related terms: where there is a will there is a way