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
Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
By then, a New York Tribune reporter had arrived and was furiously scribbling into his notepad.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for scribble
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Verb
Graduate students in tie-dye shirts worked under fume hoods; on the glass that protected them from chemicals, synthesis reactions were scribbled in black marker.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
By then, a New York Tribune reporter had arrived and was furiously scribbling into his notepad.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Goo Gone can be used for hair dye stains, dirty vents, garage floors, and crayon scribbles.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for scribble
Cite this Entry
“Scribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribble. Accessed 14 Mar. 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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