ditty

noun

ˈdi-tē How to pronounce ditty (audio)
Definition of dittynext
as in ballad
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment sung a little ditty in a minor key

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ditty To announce the enrollment period, Mamdani released a short-form video on social media with Cardi B launching a 2-K jingle competition, where people can write an original 15 to 30-second ditty urging parents to apply. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026 Later, orange lanterns carrying well-wishes floated toward the stars, mingling with the distant strains of Lao ditties from the karaoke machines of the ramshackle bars that lined the banks. — Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026 Sparkling water lightens it, but play around with the ratios—and write your own ditty to remember the recipe. — Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026 Local musician Daniel Hamrick was formally introduced on stage, then quickly donned a jacket with a Pride heart patch and sang a ditty about a trans boy. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ditty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ditty
  1. ballad
  2. song
  3. lyric
  4. jingle
  5. hymn
  6. anthem
Noun
  • Hart went into writing the ballad with that information, but the rest was up to him.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • These songs were less detailed than the ballads but conveyed intense emotion gleaned from an often hardscrabble existence.
    — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of ballad
Noun
  • At 14 songs and 62 minutes, the album would have benefited from trimming three or four of the more generic tunes.
    — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • And, really, what is the American Dream if not a nostalgic song sung in reverse?
    — Nathan King, airmail.news, 9 July 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • The production was built entirely with AI tools, with Madhvani writing the multilingual lyrics alongside co-creators and composing the music through Suno, a leading AI music generation platform.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Swift has a massive global platform, and a tendency to pull back the curtain on her personal life in song lyrics and the occasional documentary.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 July 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • World Cup games also play a specific jingle for the team that scores, giving them a moment to party after a goals.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026
  • The artists will be fine, but the guys who do commercial music, film music, advertising music, jingles, and everything, they will be replaced.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Definition of jingle
Noun
  • On this particular afternoon, worship began with an opening hymn that Brown led from the back, a one-woman choir.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Many American poets have written hymns and howls, declarations and outcries for this country that brims with so many people, and so many hopes, from all over the world.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of hymn
Noun
  • That came soon after the IOC recommended allowing Russian youth teams to compete with the country's flag and anthem.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • The World Cup doubles as a beauty pageant for each country’s fans, who strut around, sing their anthems, and try their best to look hot, happy, and, above all, passionate.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Definition of anthem

Browse Nearby Words

dittos
ditty
ditty bag
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ditty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ditty. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ditty

Nglish: Translation of ditty for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All