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

Based on a 2014 play by David Haig, who co-wrote its screenplay with its director, Anthony Maras, the movie faces an obvious challenge: Watching meteorologists scribble notations on charts isn’t particularly cinematic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

"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 must have put it in the scribble book because he knew we would never find it in the yearbook.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Mr. Polito identifies Mr. Dylan’s myriad sources, the contents of the box, often from unimpeachable evidence: the songwriter’s own scribbles in the margins of his manuscripts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

Ultimately for me, this season’s scribbles ended up looking something like:

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2025

Malak picks up a pen from the headteacher's desk and scribbles over the photo.

From BBC ● May 7, 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

Trujillo scribbles a last signature and waves the assistants out of the room, then turns to his secretary of state.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

The childhood bunk bed was a technicolour dreamcoat of late-night results, felt tip pen scribbled on the oak-stained frame a record of who was winning the ultimate, never-ending championship of brotherly video game encounters.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Layers of equipment, from real medical devices to whiteboards scribbled with a patients’ statuses, add to the ambient authenticity of a set built like an open emergency department, not a television soundstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 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

She had scribbled it in pencil after breakfast.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

He often made notes, scribbling in an A4 hardback notebook, and sometimes shook his head at parts of their testimony.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Having providers take the time to explain her disease, rather than just scribbling out prescriptions, has made a world of difference for Caldwell, she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

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

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026

While on vacation in France, he started scribbling an idea for a spy novel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

Beside her on each side, both Ess and Loo were already scribbling and blobbing ink all over their stones.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder

Related Words

• jot
• scratch
• scrawl