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: an aimless or casual scribble, design, or sketch
also
: a minor work
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Verb
She doodled in her notebook instead of taking notes.
I plan to spend the entire vacation just doodling.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tina Isaac-goizé, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2023
It’s made by Juicy Couture and exactly no part of me is shocked, though I’m amused by the thought of how many other moms and dads would've bid on a designer diary for their child to doodle about hating their parents.
—Audra Heinrichs, ELLE, 19 Feb. 2022
The first-ever white cup was designed so fans could doodle and personalize their cups.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 30 Nov. 2022
So put that creative brain to work: Bust out the crayons, fire up a graphic design program – or just doodle something on your phone or tablet!
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2022
Her children were allowed to doodle right on their bedroom walls, and Slaughter had a dog bed crafted from her own fabric when the matching couch took a while to arrive.
—House Beautiful, 13 Sep. 2022
The Fold can be used with Samsung’s S Pen devices for those who prefer to doodle on that big, wide screen with a stylus.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022
Not as a child might doodle a T. rex, but as an artist drawing a self-portrait.
—New York Times, 9 July 2022
You'll be given the option to doodle your signature on your screen, which is easier to get right than on a computer.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 19 June 2022
Dallas News, 26 Jan. 2023
Or just a single wispy cloud in a winter sky, like a friendly doodle.
—Sharman Apt Russell, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2018
Made from polyester and cotton, the heather gray crewneck sweatshirt has a doodle of none other than Sully and Mike from Monster's Inc standing between the Pixar logo.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2023
Then, with a dazzling net-front dipsy-doodle as if a page torn from the Rick Middleton book of trickery, the 6-foot-3-inch Nosek finished with a nifty backhand tuck inside the right post.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023
Late last year, Google dedicated a doodle to Lawson on what would’ve been his 82nd birthday—his life story ini 8-bit game form.
—Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
Salmon, 17, grabbed a squirmy golden doodle from the back of the car and tossed him to safety.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2023
This fit-for-Valentine's Day set includes doodle-y heart studs and pavé cherries for mixing and matching.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Feb. 2023
The Try Guys, who first began producing viral videos in 2014 while working at BuzzFeed, have switched their profile pics on social media to the group’s logo featuring a doodle of a rhino.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Sep. 2022
See More
Verb
As part of the presentation, models were asked to use fluorescent markers to doodle on transparent easels and podiums, outlining the imprint of Del Vas’s signature cleave-toe shoe, a style handmade by a total of eight artisans in her native Spain.
—Tina Isaac-goizé, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2023
It’s made by Juicy Couture and exactly no part of me is shocked, though I’m amused by the thought of how many other moms and dads would've bid on a designer diary for their child to doodle about hating their parents.
—Audra Heinrichs, ELLE, 19 Feb. 2022
The first-ever white cup was designed so fans could doodle and personalize their cups.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 30 Nov. 2022
So put that creative brain to work: Bust out the crayons, fire up a graphic design program – or just doodle something on your phone or tablet!
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2022
Her children were allowed to doodle right on their bedroom walls, and Slaughter had a dog bed crafted from her own fabric when the matching couch took a while to arrive.
—House Beautiful, 13 Sep. 2022
The Fold can be used with Samsung’s S Pen devices for those who prefer to doodle on that big, wide screen with a stylus.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022
Not as a child might doodle a T. rex, but as an artist drawing a self-portrait.
—New York Times, 9 July 2022
You'll be given the option to doodle your signature on your screen, which is easier to get right than on a computer.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 19 June 2022
Noun
The museum’s other galleries include the DinoLabs and DinoDigs, the Noble Space Gallery and the hands-on Innovation Studio where visitors can invent, doodle and design.
—Dallas News, 26 Jan. 2023
Or just a single wispy cloud in a winter sky, like a friendly doodle.
—Sharman Apt Russell, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2018
Made from polyester and cotton, the heather gray crewneck sweatshirt has a doodle of none other than Sully and Mike from Monster's Inc standing between the Pixar logo.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2023
Then, with a dazzling net-front dipsy-doodle as if a page torn from the Rick Middleton book of trickery, the 6-foot-3-inch Nosek finished with a nifty backhand tuck inside the right post.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023
Late last year, Google dedicated a doodle to Lawson on what would’ve been his 82nd birthday—his life story ini 8-bit game form.
—Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
Salmon, 17, grabbed a squirmy golden doodle from the back of the car and tossed him to safety.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2023
This fit-for-Valentine's Day set includes doodle-y heart studs and pavé cherries for mixing and matching.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Feb. 2023
The Try Guys, who first began producing viral videos in 2014 while working at BuzzFeed, have switched their profile pics on social media to the group’s logo featuring a doodle of a rhino.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Sep. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'doodle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Dictionary Entries Near doodle
Cite this Entry
“Doodle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doodle. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
More from Merriam-Webster on doodle
Nglish: Translation of doodle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about doodle
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