scribble

verb

scrib·ble | \ ˈskri-bəl

scribbled; scribbling\ ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ

\; scribbles

Definition of scribble

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive + intransitive verb

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

noun

plural scribbles

Definition of scribble (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

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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

René knows the exact number because handlers did a headcount and scribbled it in a notebook. — Washington Post, "Fear, bribes, gangs, coyotes: A Guatemalan’s trek to the US," 30 July 2019 René knows the exact number because handlers did a headcount and scribbled it in a notebook. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fear, bribes, gangs, coyotes: A Guatemalan’s trek to the US," 30 July 2019 My notes, scribbled in the dark, went like this: The cast, though, was terrific, and one performance in particular stole the show. — Judith Newman, latimes.com, "He's dressed Cher and Carol Burnett. But now Bob Mackie is finally getting his own star turn," 5 June 2019 Observing a long-standing tradition, Laura scribbled her hopes and wishes on a piece of paper and inserted it into a crevice between the stones. — Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Her 14-year-old daughter’s liver saved another woman’s life. Now their friendship offers a road map through grief.," 16 July 2019 Roy Swartz's name was scribbled on lumber later made into a kitchen drawer. — azcentral, "A red-brick ranch in Glendale is more than a home. Take a look inside the pet sanctuary and urban farm," 20 June 2019 This was scribbled on lined notebook paper by an eighth-grade student at Lebanon Junior High School. — Keith Bierygolick, Cincinnati.com, "'Pick up my book, slave': The hostile environment for black students at an Ohio school district," 10 June 2019 But Trump’s scribbling enablers aside, Democratic voters don’t seem to mind. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "How Old is Too Old to Be President?," 2 July 2019 Montgomery spends days scribbling in a notebook, trying to write a play. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco is so good, it’s hard to believe it’s a debut feature," 5 June 2019

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.