What does scrawled mean?
Scrawled is the past tense and past participle of scrawl, meaning to write or sign in a hurried, irregular manner that may be difficult to read. It commonly describes notes, names, messages, signatures, and words placed hastily on paper or another surface. The word often conveys a contrast between the speed of writing and the disorder of the result: a person may scrawl a reminder, scrawl their name on a form, or find words scrawled across a noticeboard. Although it can imply carelessness or poor penmanship, it may also be used more positively for spontaneous, expressive handwriting. It is especially associated with informal writing, though creative writing and journalism use it readily. Scrawled is also used figuratively when writing appears in an informal or makeshift form, as in descriptions of graffiti, annotations, or messages left in prominent places.
verbWrote or signed something in a hurried, irregular, or difficult-to-read manner.
- To write or sign something in a hurried, irregular, or difficult-to-read manner.
"She scrawled a quick note on the back of an old receipt."
"The artist scrawled a signature at the bottom of the canvas."
"A message had been scrawled across the window in condensation."
The word's origin is uncertain, but its modern image is unmistakable: words hurried onto paper before the writer's hand has had time to form them neatly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scrawled come from?
The word scrawl appeared in the early 17th century, but its precise origin is uncertain. It subsequently developed both as a verb meaning to write hastily and as a noun referring to hurried or irregular writing. The form scrawled is the standard past tense and past participle of that verb.
Related word forms
How scrawled is actually used
Scrawled usually emphasizes haste and lack of neatness rather than artistic informality. It can be approving when describing expressive or spontaneous handwriting, but it is more often neutral or mildly critical.
Easily confused with scrawled
Scrawled refers to writing something quickly or messily, whereas scrambled refers to mixing, throwing, or moving things in a disordered way.