scribble

UK: /ˈskrɪb^əl/ US: /ˈskrɪbəl/ ,(skrib′əl)

Inflections of 'scribble' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

scribbles

v 3rd person singular

scribbling

v pres p

scribbled

v past

scribbled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

scrib•ble¹ /ˈskrɪbəl/   v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v. 

1. to write quickly and carelessly: [~ + object]
   to scribble a letter.
   [no object]
   scribbling in his notebook.

n. 

2. [countable] a hasty drawing or piece of writing.
3. [uncountable] handwriting that is hard to read.

scrib•bler, n. [countable] See -scrib-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

scrib•ble¹  (skrib′əl), v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v.t. 

1. to write hastily or carelessly:
   to scribble a letter.
2. to cover with meaningless writing or marks:
   to scribble all over a page.

v.i. 

3. to write or draw in a hasty or careless way.
4. to make meaningless marks, scrolls, lines, etc., with a pencil, pen, or the like.

n. 

5. a note or other writing that has little or no meaning.
6. a hasty or careless drawing or piece of writing.
7. handwriting, esp. when illegible.

• Medieval Latin scrībillāre to scribble, derivative of Latin scrībere to write; see shrive
• late Middle English scribblen (verb, verbal) 1425–75

scrib′bling•ly, adv. 

scrib•ble²  (skrib′əl), v.t., -bled, -bling. 

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

• Dutch schribbelen to scratch; cognate with schrobbelen to card wool coarsely, frequentative of schrobben to scrub¹
• 1675–85

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

scribble / ˈskrɪb^əl/ verb

1. to write or draw in a hasty or illegible manner
2. to make meaningless or illegible marks (on)
3. to write (poetry, novels, etc)

noun

1. hasty careless writing or drawing
2. meaningless or illegible marks

Etymology: 15th Century: from Medieval Latin scrībillāre to write hastily, from Latin scrībere to write

ˈscribbly adjective