scribble

verb

/ˈskrɪbl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they scribble	/ˈskrɪbl/ /ˈskrɪbl/
he / she / it scribbles	/ˈskrɪblz/ /ˈskrɪblz/
past simple scribbled	/ˈskrɪbld/ /ˈskrɪbld/
past participle scribbled	/ˈskrɪbld/ /ˈskrɪbld/
-ing form scribbling	/ˈskrɪblɪŋ/ /ˈskrɪblɪŋ/

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[transitive, intransitive] to write something quickly and carelessly, especially because you do not have much time synonym scrawl
- scribble something He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving.
- There was a scribbled message on the back of the ticket.
- scribble something down She scribbled down her phone number and pushed it into his hand.
- scribble (away) Throughout the interview the journalists scribbled away furiously.
Extra Examples
- She hastily scribbled out a note.
- The students were all scribbling away furiously.
Topics Literature and writingc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- furiously
- hastily
- hurriedly
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to draw marks that do not mean anything
- Someone had scribbled all over the table in crayon.

Word Originlate Middle English: from medieval Latin scribillare, diminutive of Latin scribere ‘write’.

noun

/ˈskrɪbl/

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[uncountable, singular] careless and untidy writing synonym scrawl
- How do you expect me to read this scribble?
[countable, usually plural] marks or pictures that seem to have no meaning synonym scrawl
- The page was covered with a mass of scribbles.

Word Originlate Middle English: from medieval Latin scribillare, diminutive of Latin scribere ‘write’.