doodle

1 of 2

verb

doo·​dle ˈdü-dᵊl 

doodled; doodling ˈdüd-liŋ 

ˈdü-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to make a doodle

2

: dawdle, trifle

transitive verb

: to produce by doodling

doodler

ˈdüd-lər 

ˈdü-dᵊl-ər

noun

doodle

2 of 2

noun

: an aimless or casual scribble, design, or sketch

also : a minor work

Synonyms

Verb

• fiddle (around)
• fool around
• fribble
• goof (around)
• hang about [British]
• kick around
• mess around
• monkey (around)
• play
• potter (around)
• putter (around)
• trifle

Examples of doodle in a Sentence

Verb

She doodled in her notebook instead of taking notes.

I plan to spend the entire vacation just doodling.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In 1987, while waiting outside James L. Brooks’s office to pitch a cartoon for The Tracey Ullman Show, Groening hastily doodled a crude-looking family, naming the characters after his own father, mother, and sisters: Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie. —Darryn King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024

Blue Jackets fans have had two choices over the past couple of weeks … twiddle their thumbs or get out a scratch pad and start doodling lines and pairs with an eye toward the start of the 2024-25 season. —Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 21 July 2024

Noun

Holly, a 4-year-old golden doodle, has a lot of responsibility. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Dec. 2024

There was one recent day at work, where things were getting on top of him, when one of Chen's doodles made all the difference. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps from doodle to ridicule

First Known Use

Verb

1935, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing doodle

• cock-a-doodle-do

Kids Definition

doodle

1 of 2 verb

doo·​dle ˈdüd-ᵊl 

doodled; doodling ˈdüd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to make a doodle

doodler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun

doodle

2 of 2 noun

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