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
Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
John Wilkerson, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026
Founded in 2006, the tavern near Fourth Street Live and the Omni Louisville Hotel is outfitted with green chalkboard walls, covered with drawings and scribbles.
—Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025
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Verb
No more scribbling names on napkins and losing them later.
—Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Inspirational scribbles from baristas have never inspired me, but HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill was moved by a Starbucks cup to seize the day while landing in Minnesota.
—John Wilkerson, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026
Founded in 2006, the tavern near Fourth Street Live and the Omni Louisville Hotel is outfitted with green chalkboard walls, covered with drawings and scribbles.
—Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scribble
Cite this Entry
“Scribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribble. Accessed 28 Jan. 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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