scribble

1 of 2

verb

scrib·​ble ˈskri-bəl 

scribbled; scribbling ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ  ; scribbles

transitive + intransitive

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

He 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

2

: to fill or cover something with careless or worthless writings or drawings

a scribbled envelope

… papers … scribbled over with clues …

—English Digest

scribble

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Verb

• scratch
• scrawl
• squiggle

Examples 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

Verb

Windows 11 is still an appalling tablet OS with a crippling lack of touch-friendly apps, and the stylus has an irritating input lag that makes scribbling on screen unsatisfactory. —Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

Beyond studying the Civil War and exhibiting oral proficiency in Italian, one LSU student spent this year scribbling his name on more than just the back of desks. —Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024

Noun

Just scribble on an object or person (there are separate modes for them) to create a Magic Mask. —PCMAG, 3 Oct. 2024

The asymmetrical picture, featuring Picasso's trademark scribble, is of a woman with brown hair wearing a blue dress and red lipstick. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English scriblen, from Medieval Latin scribillare, from Latin scribere to write

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scribble

verb

scrib·​ble ˈskrib-əl 

scribbled; scribbling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to write or draw hastily or carelessly

scribble noun

scribbler

ˈskrib-(ə-)lər

noun

Etymology

Verb

Middle English scriblen "to write hurriedly or carelessly," from Latin scribillare (same meaning), from earlier scribere "to write" — related to scribe