scribbled; scribbling
ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ 
; scribbles
; scribbles
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
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
: to fill or cover something with careless or worthless writings or drawings
a scribbled envelope
… 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
Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Having lived in Paris with Richardson on and off since late 1921, Hemingway was a struggling writer who could be spotted scribbling in Left Bank cafés—a tall, lanky Midwesterner with unkempt hair, wearing sneakers, old trousers and a patched jacket.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
But like many aspiring authors shy about their talent, Agathe only scribbles in her spare time and refuses to let anyone read her work.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scribble
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Verb
Due to the technology restrictions, journalists furiously scribbled notes for six to eight hours a day, sporadically darting out of the courtroom to dictate the latest news to their editors.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Having lived in Paris with Richardson on and off since late 1921, Hemingway was a struggling writer who could be spotted scribbling in Left Bank cafés—a tall, lanky Midwesterner with unkempt hair, wearing sneakers, old trousers and a patched jacket.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
Noun
No more scribbles in the margins or lookups that kill gameplay momentum.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
But like many aspiring authors shy about their talent, Agathe only scribbles in her spare time and refuses to let anyone read her work.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 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 13 Jul. 2025.
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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