scribble

¹ American  

[skrib-uhl] / ˈskrɪb əl /

verb (used with object)

scribbled, scribbling

1. to write hastily or carelessly.

   to scribble a letter.

2. to cover with meaningless writing or marks.

   to scribble all over a page.

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verb (used without object)

scribbled, scribbling

1. to write or draw in a hasty or careless way.

2. to make meaningless marks, scrolls, lines, etc., with a pencil, pen, or the like.

noun

scribbles plural

1. a note or other writing that has little or no meaning.

2. a hasty or careless drawing or piece of writing.

3. handwriting, especially when illegible.

scribble ² American  

[skrib-uhl] / ˈskrɪb əl /

verb (used with object)

scribbled, scribbling

1. to tear apart (wool fibers) in the first stages of carding.

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scribble ¹ British  

/ ˈskrɪbəl /

verb

1. to write or draw in a hasty or illegible manner

2. to make meaningless or illegible marks (on)

3. derogatory to write poetry, novels, etc

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noun

1. hasty careless writing or drawing

2. writing, esp literary matter, of poor quality

3. meaningless or illegible marks

scribble ² British  

/ ˈskrɪbəl /

verb

1. (tr) to card (wool, etc)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scribbly
  adjective
• scribblingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scribbles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scribble¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English verb scriblen, scribul, from Medieval Latin scrībillāre “to scribble,” derivative of Latin scrībere “to write”; see also shrive

Origin of scribble²

First recorded in 1675–85; from Dutch schribbelen “to scratch”; cognate with schrobbelen “to card wool coarsely,” frequentative of schrobben to scrub ¹

Explanation

To scribble is to write something quickly and sloppily. You can also call someone's handwriting, if it's hard to read, a scribble. Have you ever made a note of something very quickly, and then later when you tried to read it, you couldn't? That's a scribble. People scribble when they need to write fast. The problem with scribbling—-making a scribble-—is that it’s hard to read. Some people have handwriting that is always hard to read: you can call poor handwriting a scribble. Doctors are famous for their scribbles. The Latin root is scribere, "to write."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scribble scribbles scribbled scribbling

Then, in April, the court said: Now that we have the full case before us, we’re going to summarily reverse the district court for the reasons set forth in our five-paragraph scribble from December.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

Ava steps away for a moment, giving Deborah an opportunity to reach for her notebook to scribble a thought . . . then it happens.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

Watching Mr. White’s Springsteen scribble down lyrics doesn’t exactly make for a revelatory cinematic experience, however.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

"I scribble and sketch, but shift quickly to the computer. I thought I'd write the whole manuscript longhand - by the third paragraph I gave up."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025

He poked and prodded Fig’s trembling body, pausing every so often to scribble down notes.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Even now, most of her lyrics exist as scattered notes and unfinished scribbles.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

It feels like writing on paper, only your notes sync to all your devices and your scribbles are actually searchable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025

In another pivotal moment, Violet scribbles a message that seems to be a big deal according to the tense and pounding score.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025

Steves is a lifelong Lutheran, a Christian who, during our Salon photo shoot, scribbles a postcard to his Grandma Grace on "Long Gone Ave., Heaven."

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2025

He scribbles a message to Crook and Devin, requesting help.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

A collection of poems, some scribbled on slips of paper between food deliveries, has won Wang Jibing one of China's top literary honours.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

There are scribbled ads on the bullpen walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib furiously scribbled responses like “That’s a lie” and “No King” on a small whiteboard.

From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2026

Last month, I scribbled every form I’d need for my return on the envelope of the first 2025 income-tax form I received:W-2s, receipts, broker statements, etc.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 17, 2026

The name of each kid is scribbled on a whiteboard next to the place where the door is supposed to be.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

It was finally done in a month of frantic scribbling and, when complete, caused eyes to pop.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

They moved on to a client tender and she was scribbling notes.

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026

“The childish scribbling handwriting is also a red herring for some of the more serious and sinister themes in the book, “ says Cash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

Albert recalled asking, scribbling notes to herself so she would know she had heard correctly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

They seemed to know just what to do: scribbling words on the paper, sticking it inside the candle wax, holding it up until the wick ignited on its own without explanation, and setting it free.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• jot
• scratch
• scrawl