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diddley

diddley

7 9.9
A very small amount, almost nothing
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪdli/
  • Informal
translation icon : nada
  • This aircraft isn't going to do diddley-Squat Until it's got the new engines in her.
  • diddley-squat
  • know diddley
  • means diddley

Examples

  • All of which, as Scalzi points out, sort of means diddley squat.

    Blog text (10)
  • The Fed's balance sheet won't mean diddley when the nation's cities are set ablaze after the supply lines collapse.

    Blog text (10)
  • But the Apache is not a conventional helicopter, and instinct means diddley.

  • "That doesn't tell us diddley-squat," Dan groused.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • That don't mean diddley.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Sipping lemon water doesn't do diddley for your digestion besides helping you hydrate.

    Blog text (12)
  • Billie Jean says she was "just a barefoot girl who didn't know diddley-squat about sophistication" when she met Hank.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • That's why I've not said a single word about what I think or what I want—what I want doesn't matter diddley doo.

    Blog text (15)
  • Zero, zilch zot, nix, nada, dry hump, squirt diddley-squat.

  • If you don't study for the test, you'll know diddley when it starts.

Synonyms

shit
vsdiddley
  • Offensive
9.9

Something worthless or untrue that people say to you

is less coarse and highlights small or insignificant amounts instead of insult
squat
vsdiddley
  • Slang
54 8.1

An amount that is nothing

is more neutral and used both negatively and in other contexts
jack
vsdiddley
  • Slang
43 9.5

A very small, worthless amount people talk about in negative sentences

appears in positive or neutral contexts as an informal small amount
bup
vsdiddley
  • Slang
20 9.9

Something that has no value or use

is similar but may point more to tiny amounts than general worthlessness
nothin
vsdiddley
  • Informal
19 9.9

Not anything or zero

is the standard informal version rather than dialectal or nonstandard
nothing
vsdiddley
17 1.0

No thing present in a place or situation

is similar but leans informal and stresses very small amounts
zilch
vsdiddley
  • Informal
7 8.5

Nothing at all

also covers tiny amounts but focuses more on complete absence
chaff
vsdiddley
7 8.4

Useless or unimportant things that distract from what matters

focuses on small quantity rather than a pile of unimportant items
triviality
vsdiddley
6 5.4

A small detail that does not matter

is narrower, pointing to specific tiny amounts rather than general insignificance
diddly
vsdiddley
  • Informal
4 9.9

A very small amount, almost nothing

is the same meaning but appears as a different spelling variant
diddly-squat
vsdiddley
  • Informal
3 9.9

Nothing at all

is a calmer informal term used without idiomatic emphasis
doodly-squat
vsdiddley
  • Slang
2 9.9

A very small or worthless amount

is the same informal meaning but usually less playful in use
2 4.3

Almost nothing of value

is used for a single small amount rather than a general lack
tinker's damn
vsdiddley
  • NSFW
2 9.9

Something of little or no worth

is a simpler informal measure focusing on tiny amounts generally
diddy
vsdiddley
  • UK
1 9.9

A very small thing that is not important or valuable

focuses on quantity, not on a small individual object or thing
diddlysquat
vsdiddley
  • Informal
1 9.9

A very small amount or nothing at all

is the same sense but as a simpler informal variant
diddly-shit
vsdiddley
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A very small amount that is almost nothing

is milder and avoids coarse language while keeping informal meaning
skerrick
vsdiddley
  • Irish
1 9.9

A very small amount of something that is almost none

is a broader informal term not focused on remnants or tiny scraps
nowt
vsdiddley
  • UK
1 9.9

Not anything at all

is a more general informal word used across varieties
mere trifle
vsdiddley
1 4.0

A small thing that is not important

is more about quantity being negligible rather than general unimportance
bagatelle
vsdiddley
  • Literature
1 9.9

A small unimportant thing not worth worrying about

is more colloquial and focuses on tiny measurable amounts
diddlyshit
vsdiddley
  • Offensive
9.9

A very small amount or nothing at all

is the same idea but less coarse and slightly milder in tone
doit
vsdiddley
  • Archaic
9.9

A very small amount of money used to say something is not worth much

is the same informal idea but is more general than a tiny monetary sum
not a farthing
vsdiddley
  • Archaic
9.9

No money at all

is broader, applying to any small amount not only money
sweet Fanny Adams
vsdiddley
  • Archaic
9.9

Nothing at all is left

is the same idea but more neutral and less idiomatic in use

Antonyms

1.0

A large amount that is more than needed

91 3.3

A large amount of something, more than you need

How Much

a lot
1.0
some
1.0
a bit
1.0
diddley
  • Informal
7 9.9
nothing
17 1.0

Surface Forms

diddley singular
diddleys plural

Morphology

diddley = diddle (opaque) = diddle + y

Although the form suggests 'diddle' + '-y', the colloquial sense 'nothing/a negligible amount' is a slang semantic shift not predictable from the verb 'diddle' for typical learners.

Etymology

The word diddley comes from the everyday word diddle, which can mean 'to cheat' or 'waste time', and from the slang phrase diddly-squat, where squat means 'nothing'. A helpful way to remember diddley is to think of getting 'diddley' as getting 'nothing' or only a very small amount.