scrawl UK /skɹɔːl/US /skɹɒl/noun 5verb 4forms 3phrases 4 noun5 •Irregular, poor handwriting; especially, such writing that is illegible. •A hastily or carelessly written note etc. •Writing that lacks literary merit. •A broken branch of a tree. •The young of the dog-crab. verb4 •To write something hastily or illegibly.She scrawled the main points onto her notepad. •To write in an irregular or illegible manner. •To write unskilfully and inelegantly.Though with a golden pen you scrawl. — 1710 •To creep; crawl; to move slowly, with difficulty, fearfully, or stealthily.we will scrape and scrawl, and catch and pull to us all that we may get — 1550 formsscrawled · scrawling · scrawls Phrases with scrawl scrawl downTo scrawl (something); to write down in a scrawl. scrawl offTo scrawl (something); to dash off in a scrawl. scrawl outTo write (something) in a scrawl; to write quickly, usually in illegible handwriting. scrawl upTo scrawl (something); to write out in a scrawl.