scribble

verb scrib·ble \ ˈskri-bəl \

Definition of scribble

scribbled; scribbling play \ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to write hastily or carelessly without regard to legibility or form

2 :to cover with careless or worthless writings or drawings

intransitive verb

:to write or draw hastily and carelessly

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scribble

noun

See scribble defined for English-language learners

See scribble defined for kids

Examples of scribble in a Sentence

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 of scribble from the Web

Cleveland Browns Scribbles: How to view DeShone Kizer, Josh Gordon -- Terry Pluto (photos) TAMPA, Fla. -- Cleveland Browns scribbles in my notebook after their 13-9 preseason victory Saturday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 1.

— terry pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers trade with Boston Celtics, what happens next? -- Terry Pluto (video)," 29 Aug. 2017
When the three young gunmen drive up in a white Nissan Tsuru, Armando, a 55-year-old cabbie, scribbles his four-digit taxi number on a scrap of paper, folds it around a 100-peso note and slips it into their black plastic bag.

— author: joshua partlow, Alaska Dispatch News, "The once-glamorous resort city of Acapulco is now Mexico’s murder capital," 25 Aug. 2017
Scribbled artwork, presumably Ocean's, adorned the stage.

— chris payne, Billboard, "Frank Ocean Dazzles Panorama Fest With Intimate Opening Night Headlining Show," 29 July 2017
Whatever the student reporters are struggling with -- scribbling notes fast enough, generating questions on the fly, writing conversationally but authoritative -- finally makes sense.

— molly harbarger, OregonLive.com, "The 'a-ha' moment eventually comes to every young journalist," 20 July 2017
In the sketch, Betty is seen standing in a doorway with glass all around her, and her face is scribbled out in black ink.

— de elizabeth, Teen Vogue, ""Riverdale" Star Lili Reinhart Shares "Jughead: the Hunger" Drawing on Instagram," 17 July 2017
There has been no surer way to beef up an offer from another suitor in recent off-seasons than to take some ridiculous figure that Vivek Ranadivé scribbled on a napkin.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Grades: George Hill, Zach Randolph Help Kings Inch Closer To Respectability," 6 July 2017
If this were a movie script, a director would scribble too unrealistic.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Driftless Region's Kickapoo Valley is a hilly paradise in western Wisconsin," 6 July 2017
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Cavaliers notebook as teams keep making moves in NBA free agency: 1.

— cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns are facing some expectations; are they too high? -- Terry Pluto (video)," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scribble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scribble

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

scribble Synonyms

Synonyms

scratch, scrawl, squiggle

Related Words

doodle; jot (down); ink, inscribe, letter, pen, pencil, print, write

SCRIBBLE Defined for English Language Learners

scribble

verb

Definition of scribble for English Language Learners

: to write (something) quickly and in a way that makes it difficult to read
: to draw lines, shapes, etc., that have no particular meaning in a quick and careless way

SCRIBBLE Defined for Kids

scribble

verb scrib·ble \ ˈskri-bəl \

Definition of scribble for Students

scribbled; scribbling

:to write quickly or carelessly

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scribbler

\ˈskri-blər\ noun

Word Root of scribble

The Latin word scribere, meaning “to write,” and its form scriptus give us the roots scrib and script. Words from the Latin scribere have something to do with writing. To scribble is to write quickly or carelessly. To describe is to write or tell about something or someone. A manuscript is a document written by hand. To transcribe is to write down something spoken or copy something written.