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

But like everything else in the movie, it’s just a scribble in the margins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025

I scribble on an imaginary whiteboard in my head.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

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

She nods thoughtfully and scribbles some more notes.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

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

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

They scribbled messages over their pictures saying: “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026

For years, I studied my sister's yearbooks and covertly read the messages her friends scribbled in the back pages.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

He retired for two years of intensive reflection and scribbling, and at length produced his masterwork: the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica or Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, better known as the Principia.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• jot
• scratch
• scrawl