doodle

verb

doo·​dle ˈdü-dᵊl How to pronounce doodle (audio)
doodled; doodling ˈdüd-liŋ How to pronounce doodle (audio)
ˈdü-dᵊl-iŋ
Synonyms of doodlenext

intransitive verb

1
: to make a doodle
2

transitive verb

: to produce by doodling
doodler
ˈdüd-lər How to pronounce doodle (audio)
ˈdü-dᵊl-ər
noun

Examples of doodle in a Sentence

She doodled in her notebook instead of taking notes. I plan to spend the entire vacation just doodling.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
They were inspired both by the 2023 California Superbloom and memories of doodling flowers while growing up in India. Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 17 May 2026 Koch bobbed by again, this time with glasses and a Harry Potter lightning bolt doodled on her face. Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026 Amazon Kindle Scribe Deal The Kindle Scribe is for the reader who can't stop doodling in the margins. Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026 Seidle sketches out miniature worlds on his Casio with the oblong abstractions of a kindergartener doodling on a piece of paper, his primitive songs existing in a kind of nascent pre-genre state. Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for doodle

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from doodle to ridicule

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doodle was in 1937

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Cite this Entry

“Doodle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doodle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

doodle

1 of 2 verb
doo·​dle ˈdüd-ᵊl How to pronounce doodle (audio)
doodled; doodling ˈdüd-liŋ How to pronounce doodle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to make a doodle
doodler
-lər How to pronounce doodle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

doodle

2 of 2 noun
: a scribble, design, or sketch done while thinking of something else

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