What does diddly mean?
"Diddly" is an informal noun used to mean nothing at all — a sum or amount so small as to be effectively worthless. Speakers reach for it when they want to emphasize disappointment or contempt: someone might complain that they were promised a raise but received diddly, or admit they know diddly about a subject. The word belongs firmly to colloquial register, appearing mostly in casual conversation rather than formal prose, and it is especially at home in American English. It frequently appears in the emphatic compound "diddly-squat," which carries the same meaning with added force. Related expressions include "worth diddly." The word conveys dismissiveness and mild frustration, making it a colorful alternative to plainer synonyms such as "zilch," "zip," or "nothing." Its playful sound suits the lighthearted but pointed tone of everyday complaint.
nounAn informal term meaning nothing at all; a negligible or worthless amount.
- Nothing at all; a negligible or worthless amount.
"After all that effort, he got paid diddly."
"The company promised a bonus, but we ended up with diddly."
"He talks a big game, but he knows diddly about car engines."
Rarely pluralized, since the word denotes an unquantifiable nothing; the singular is standard.
"All his grand plans amounted to diddly."
In American slang, "diddly" means absolutely nothing — which makes it one of the few words whose entire job is to describe emptiness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of diddly
"Diddly" arose in twentieth-century American English as a slang term for nothing, most famously in the compound "diddly-squat." It is generally connected with the older verb "diddle," which by the early nineteenth century meant to cheat or swindle and later came to suggest trifling or wasting time. The exact pathway from "diddle" to "diddly" is uncertain, but the sense of something trifling or worthless carried through.
Related word forms
How diddly is actually used
Highly informal and colloquial, especially common in American English. Often intensified in the fixed expression "diddly-squat." Avoid in formal writing.
Easily confused with diddly
"Diddle" is a verb meaning to swindle or cheat (or to waste time idly), whereas "diddly" is a noun meaning nothing at all.