1
a
: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study
b
: a tentative draft (as for a literary work)
2
: a brief description (as of a person) or outline
3
a
: a short literary composition somewhat resembling the short story and the essay but intentionally slight in treatment, discursive in style, and familiar in tone
b
: a short instrumental composition usually for piano
c
: a slight theatrical piece having a single scene
especially
: a comic variety act
sketched; sketching; sketches
: to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of
: to draw or paint a sketch
sketcher
noun
Examples of sketch in a Sentence
Noun
He made a sketch of his house.
He wrote up a sketch of the plot.
There is a biographical sketch of the author on the book's back cover.
Verb
He sketched the trees outside his window.
He likes to sit outside and sketch.
She sketched the plan for us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2025
For decades, the Grammy-winning musician has explored the visual arts, producing paintings, sketches, metalwork installations and more.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
The artist sketched her studies on paper first before drawing digitally on a Wacom Tablet, recreating the train station, clock and museum down to the most minute detail—the book includes 19 spreads stretching from the 1900s to modern day.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sketch
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Noun
In his sketches, even the most oddball figures—a focus-group participant with terrible ideas, a man struggling to back out of a parking lot—are self-conscious about their unpopularity.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2025
For decades, the Grammy-winning musician has explored the visual arts, producing paintings, sketches, metalwork installations and more.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Verb
Add to that multiple more factors, sketched at Serielizados Pro.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
The artist sketched her studies on paper first before drawing digitally on a Wacom Tablet, recreating the train station, clock and museum down to the most minute detail—the book includes 19 spreads stretching from the 1900s to modern day.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sketch
Cite this Entry
“Sketch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sketch. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sketch
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene
b
: a rough draft (as of a story)
2
: a brief description or outline
3
: a short comedy piece
sketch
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of
2
: to draw or paint a sketch
sketcher
noun
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