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 DigestExamples 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 on the Web
But when Ava makes a bathroom trip, Deb hastily scribbles something in her notepad.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
With his contribution, Scott’s Cactus Jack logo replaced the Spotify sponsor at the center of the shirt, appearing in a rough handwritten script alongside his signature scribbled face motif, both printed in Barcelona’s iconic gold, similar to the chest.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The two teenagers who walked into a San Diego mosque with assault rifles on Monday wore patches displaying the Black Sun—a neo-Nazi iteration of the swastika—and had scribbled white-supremacist symbols in white correction fluid on their guns.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
For half-laughs as well as clarity, a lot of the mission’s step-by-step details appear on the screen, as wee notes scribbled right on top of the action.
—Michael Phillips, Variety, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scribble
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Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
With his contribution, Scott’s Cactus Jack logo replaced the Spotify sponsor at the center of the shirt, appearing in a rough handwritten script alongside his signature scribbled face motif, both printed in Barcelona’s iconic gold, similar to the chest.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The two teenagers who walked into a San Diego mosque with assault rifles on Monday wore patches displaying the Black Sun—a neo-Nazi iteration of the swastika—and had scribbled white-supremacist symbols in white correction fluid on their guns.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
For half-laughs as well as clarity, a lot of the mission’s step-by-step details appear on the screen, as wee notes scribbled right on top of the action.
—Michael Phillips, Variety, 16 May 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 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Etymology
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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