scribbled; scribbling
ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ 
; scribbles
; scribbles
1
: to write or draw hastily or carelessly
a note scribbled on the back of an envelope
Harriet scribbled in her notebook as soon as she took her seat.—
Louise Fitzhugh
Louise FitzhughHe took a stump of lead pencil out of his pocket and scribbled a moustache on the lion's upper lip and then a pair of spectacles on its eyes.—C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis2
: to fill or cover something with careless or worthless writings or drawings
a scribbled envelope
… papers … scribbled over with clues …—English Digest
English Digest
plural scribbles
: a piece of writing or a drawing that is done quickly or carelessly
She could barely make out the doctor's scribble.
a page covered with random scribbles
… he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid.—J. K. Rowling
J. K. RowlingExamples of scribble in a Sentence
Verb
She scribbled a note to him and then dashed off to her meeting.
He scribbled down his phone number.
Students scribbled furiously as the professor lectured.
She was scribbling away in a notebook.
The toddler scribbled all over the paper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
The logline: Still reeling from the unexpected loss of his wife, a single dad navigates uncharted territory when his daughter’s comically dark, scribbled drawings begin to come to life and wreak havoc on their small town.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
But, in the background, a caustic Shauna scribbles her own tale in her journal.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scribble
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Verb
The earl scribbled a note in the candlelight and sent a messenger to deliver the letter, and the magazine key, to the captain of a Royal Navy ship anchored a half-dozen miles away, in the James River.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
The logline: Still reeling from the unexpected loss of his wife, a single dad navigates uncharted territory when his daughter’s comically dark, scribbled drawings begin to come to life and wreak havoc on their small town.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
Researchers at the University of Oxford recently set out to read some of Tennyson’s indecipherable scribbles using advanced imaging techniques.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
But, in the background, a caustic Shauna scribbles her own tale in her journal.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scribble
Cite this Entry
“Scribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribble. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Etymology
Verb
Middle English scriblen "to write hurriedly or carelessly," from Latin scribillare (same meaning), from earlier scribere "to write" — related to scribe
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