scrawl

1 of 2

verb

ˈskrȯl How to pronounce scrawl (audio)
scrawled; scrawling; scrawls
Synonyms of scrawlnext

transitive verb

: to write or draw awkwardly, hastily, or carelessly
scrawled his name

intransitive verb

: to write awkwardly or carelessly
scrawl noun
scrawler noun
scrawly
ˈskrȯ-lē How to pronounce scrawl (audio)
adjective

scrawler

2 of 2

noun

scrawl·​er
-lə(r)
plural -s
1
: one that scrawls
2
: a device for marking out fields preparatory to the planting of ridged row crops

Synonyms of scrawl

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of scrawl in a Sentence

Verb She scrawled her signature on the receipt. scrawled a quick note, stuck it in their mailbox, and hurried off
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Michals would often scrawl the work’s title on the image. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026 Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death. — Sarah M.s. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 On the wall across the bar are autographs of former USMNT greats, scrawled inside a mighty shield. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 2026 There was little or no organization among them, and some were scrawled in barely decipherable handwriting. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrawl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrawl was in 1612

Rhymes for scrawl

See All Rhymes for scrawl

Browse Nearby Words

scrawk
scrawl
scrawler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrawl. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

scrawl

verb
ˈskrȯl How to pronounce scrawl (audio)
: to write or draw awkwardly, hastily, or carelessly : scribble
scrawl noun
scrawly
ˈskrȯ-lē How to pronounce scrawl (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on scrawl

Nglish: Translation of scrawl for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All