ditty

[ dit-ee ]

/ ˈdɪt i /

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See synonyms for: ditty / ditties on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural dit·ties.

a poem intended to be sung.

a short, simple song.

verb (used without object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

Obsolete. to sing.

verb (used with object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

Obsolete. to set to or celebrate in music.

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Origin of ditty

1250–1300; Middle English dite<Anglo-French, Old French dit(i)e poem, noun use of past participle of ditier to compose <Latin dictāre;see dictate

Words nearby ditty

ditto, dittograph, dittography, Ditto machine, ditto mark, ditty, ditty bag, ditty box, ditz, ditzy, Diu

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ditty in a sentence

If you heard the song at a crowded bar, you might mistake it for an airy faux-feminist ditty.
What’s the Song of the Summer for 2021? Here Are Our Predictions|Kat Moon|June 23, 2021|Time
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim loosely nodded toward the idea with a singsongy little ditty about beans called “The Witch’s Rap” in 1986’s Into the Woods.
How In the Heights went from a student musical to one of the summer’s biggest movies|Constance Grady|June 11, 2021|Vox
He often composes ditties to play at the farewell parties of staff members.
NIH Director Francis Collins Is Fighting This Coronavirus While Preparing for the Next One|Belinda Luscombe|February 4, 2021|Time
The addicting ditty “One of These Things” was used to help children learn to compare and discern differences.
‘Sesame Street’ Is Middle-Aged and Awesome|Emily Shire|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If she ever knew that I would never be the man I promised I would be,” he sings on the 1990s pop ditty “Opposite of Me.
Robin Thicke’s ‘Paula’ Is What You Shouldn’t Do When You Get Dumped|Andrew Romano|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The kids get a record deal, and the bosses receive some mistaken intel that the song is a folk ditty, up for grabs copyright-wise.
‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’: Rian Malan’s South Africa Reviewed|Katie Baker|November 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A high school vibe overtook the hall: it was a pep rally, complete with its own music video—“Kahana was right,” laments the ditty.
'Kahane For Kids'|Elisheva Goldberg|November 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“Miss Atomic Bomb,” a five-minute ditty that swells into a soaring rock anthem, is an early standout.
The Killers Talk New Album ‘Battle Born,’ Mitt Romney, Mormonism & More|Marlow Stern|September 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mea, however, fought passionately for her friend and never gave way till Kurt had promised not to go on with his ditty.
Maezli|Johanna Spyri
The musicians played energetically, switching now from the hymn to their unofficial little ditty.
Pagan Passions|Gordon Randall Garrett
None other than that sweet sentimental ditty, "Be kind to the loved ones at home."
The Life of Thomas Wanless, Peasant|Alexander Johnstone Wilson
We almost felt like having that bright little ditty 'In Dixie's Land' served up to us, we all felt so jubilant.
The Blue and The Gray|A. R. White
The knife daily pierces the neck of the swine, and the kitchen wench wrings off the head of the fowl while she hums a ditty.
Wild Western Scenes|John Beauchamp Jones

British Dictionary definitions for ditty

ditty

/ (ˈdɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a short simple song or poem

Word Origin for ditty

C13: from Old French ditie poem, from ditier to compose, from Latin dictāre dictate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ditty

Origin of ditty

Words nearby ditty

Words related to ditty

How to use ditty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ditty

Word Origin for ditty