scribbled; scribbling
ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ 
; scribbles
; scribbles
1
transitive + intransitive
: to write or draw hastily or carelessly
Students scribbled furiously as the professor lectured.
Harriet scribbled in her notebook as soon as she took her seat.—
Louise Fitzhugh
Louise FitzhughHe 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
C. S. Lewis2
intransitive
: to fill or cover something with careless or worthless writings or drawings
The toddler scribbled all over the paper.
… papers … scribbled over with clues …—English Digest
English Digest
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
J. K. RowlingExamples 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
Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
As a kid, Bazzana scribbled hitting strategies into a little red book.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Webb looks at his watch and scribbles in his notepad.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scribble
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Verb
This group – which included women with graying hair and comfortable OnCloud running shoes, a doctoral student scribbling in a tiny notebook and men wearing office casual chinos – were talking death over tea and vegan strawberry cookies in a gathering commonly called a Death Cafe.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
As a kid, Bazzana scribbled hitting strategies into a little red book.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
The tattoo is simply a replica of scribbles done by her little ones and is on her lower leg behind her knee.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Webb looks at his watch and scribbles in his notepad.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scribble
Cite this Entry
“Scribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribble. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Etymology
Verb
Middle English scriblen "to write hurriedly or carelessly," from Latin scribillare (same meaning), from earlier scribere "to write" — related to scribe
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