scribbly

American  

[skrib-lee] / ˈskrɪb li /

adjective

1. written or drawn in a hasty, careless, or messy way, or looking as if written or drawn in such a way.

   None of us can make out this scribbly note he left—can you?

   I really like the scribbly style of her comic strips.

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Etymology

Origin of scribbly

First recorded in 1655–65; scribbl(e) ¹ ( def. ) + -y ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

There are plenty of initials and scribbly hearts, sure, but also a lock with Batman’s insignia and at least a dozen locks marked “MYTH” with a label maker.

From Seattle Times

One is a K.G.B. spy, lurking around corners and leaving a scribbly wisp of cigarette smoke.

From New York Times

“Flowers’s loose, expressive line is a little messy, a little scribbly, with both cursive and all-caps text floating through the images,” Hillary Chute notes in her Graphic Content column.

From New York Times

Flowers’s loose, expressive line is a little messy, a little scribbly, with both cursive and all-caps text floating through the images.

From New York Times

I guessed that the crude, scribbly letters had probably been written by a little boy.

From Literature