ditty

noun

dit·​ty ˈdi-tē 

plural ditties

: an especially simple and unaffected song

Synonyms

• ballad
• jingle
• lay
• lyric
• song
• vocal

Examples of ditty in a Sentence

Play us a little ditty.

sung a little ditty in a minor key

Recent Examples on the Web

But Eilish dangling her feet over the stage, singing her Barbie ditty to a near 4 minutes in length with audiences softly (this time) backing her up was an undeniable emotional highpoint of the show in a bask of pink. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

There's also a glimpse of beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy, who Snow White goes to live with, and there's a familiar ditty at the end for fans of the original. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

The record’s new-wave ditties are an amalgamation of strange but immediately identifiable components, chimeras of ’60s pop à la Lesley Gore and the frenzied shred of a skateboarding compilation. —Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024

In a minute-long video posted to the app on Nov. 24, Oliver Richman, 24, posted a quick ditty as part of his personal challenge to write a song every day. —Sara Belcher, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ditee, from Anglo-French dité story, song, from past participle of diter to compose, from Latin dictare to dictate, compose

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ditty

• ditty bag
• ditty box

Kids Definition

ditty

noun

dit·​ty ˈdit-ē 

plural ditties

: a short simple song