ditty

From Middle English dite, ditee, from Old French ditie or dité, from ditier, from Latin dictāre (participle dictatus).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪti/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (UK):

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• Homophone: diddy (t-flapping)
• Rhymes: -ɪti

ditty (plural ditties)

1. A short, simple verse or song.
   • [1644], [John Milton], Of Education. To Master Samuel Hartlib, [London]: […] [Thomas Underhill and/or Thomas Johnson], →OCLC:

     religious, martial, or civil ditties

   • 1636, G[eorge] S[andys], “(please specify the page)”, in A Paraphrase upon the Psalmes of David. And upon the Hymnes Dispersed throughout the Old and New Testaments, London: [Andrew Hebb […]], →OCLC:

     And to the warbling lute soft ditties sing.

   • 1976, Andrew Hamilton, “Circles Review”, in allmusic.com‎^[1], archived from the original on 4 May 2026, people:

     This fine effort didn't just fall through a crack, it never got out the starting gate. Despite thoughtful ditties like the up-tempo, stomping "People (We Need a Change)," "Uncle James," which first appeared on New York City's debut album, "Circles," and "Love (I Guess That's the Fool in Me)."

2. A saying or utterance, especially one that is short and frequently repeated.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 50:

     O, too high ditty for my simple rime.

3. Ellipsis of ditty bag.

ditty (third-person singular simple present ditties, present participle dittying, simple past and past participle dittied)

1. (intransitive, archaic, obsolete) To sing; to warble a little tune.
   • [1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:

     Beasts fain would sing; birds ditty to their notes.