What does sketch mean?

Definitions for sketch
skɛtʃsketch

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word sketch.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. sketch, studynoun

    preliminary drawing for later elaboration

    "he made several studies before starting to paint"

  2. sketch, vignettenoun

    a brief literary description

  3. sketch, survey, resumenoun

    short descriptive summary (of events)

  4. cartoon, sketchverb

    a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine

  5. sketch, chalk outverb

    make a sketch of

    "sketch the building"

  6. sketch, outline, adumbrateverb

    describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

    "sketch the outline of the book"; "outline his ideas"

Wiktionary

  1. sketchnoun

    A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work, often consisting of a multitude of overlapping lines.

  2. sketchnoun

    A rough design, plan, or draft, as a rough draft of a book.

  3. sketchnoun

    A brief description of a person or account of an incident; a general presentation or outline.

  4. sketchnoun

    A brief, light, or unfinished dramatic, musical, or literary work or idea; eg. a short, often humorous or satirical scene or play, frequently as part of a revue or variety show, a skit; or, a brief musical composition or theme, especially for the piano; or, a brief, light, or informal literary composition, such as an essay or short story.

  5. sketchnoun

    An amusing person.

  6. sketchnoun

    Keeping sketch: to keep a lookout.

  7. sketchverb

    To make a brief, basic drawing.

    I usually sketch with a pen rather than a pencil.

  8. sketchverb

    To describe a person, or an incident, briefly, and with very few details.

    He sketched the accident, sticking to the facts as they had happened.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Sketchnoun

    An outline; a rough draught; a first plan.

    Etymology: schedula, Latin.

    I shall not attempt a character of his present majesty, having already given an imperfect sketch of it. Addison.

    As the lightest sketch, if justly trac’d,
    Is by ill colouring but the more disgrac’d,
    So by false learning is good sense defac’d. Alexander Pope.

  2. To Sketchverb

    Etymology: from the noun.

    If a picture is daubed with many glaring colours, the vulgar eye admires it; whereas he judges very contemptuously of some admirable design sketched out only with a black pencil, though by the hand of Raphael. Isaac Watts, Logick.

    The reader I’ll leave in the midst of silence, to contemplate those ideas which I have only sketch’d, and which every man must finish for himself. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.

ChatGPT

  1. sketch

    A sketch is a rough or unfinished drawing or outline, often made to assist in creating a more detailed work. It can also refer to a brief written or spoken account or description, giving the main points or structure of something, or a short play or performance, expressing a comedic or satiric idea.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Sketchnoun

    an outline or general delineation of anything; a first rough or incomplete draught or plan of any design; especially, in the fine arts, such a representation of an object or scene as serves the artist's purpose by recording its chief features; also, a preliminary study for an original work

  2. Sketchnoun

    to draw the outline or chief features of; to make a rought of

  3. Sketchnoun

    to plan or describe by giving the principal points or ideas of

  4. Sketchverb

    to make sketches, as of landscapes

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Sketch

    skech, n. a first draft of any plan or painting: an outline, a short and slightly constructed play, essay, &c.: a short dramatic scene for representation by two persons: an artist's preliminary study of a work to be elaborated.—v.t. to make a rough draft of: to draw the outline: to give the principal points of.—v.i. to practise sketching.—adj. Sketch′able, capable of being sketched effectively.—ns. Sketch′book, a blank book used for sketching by an artist or writer: a printed volume of literary sketches; Sketch′er, one who sketches.—adv. Sketch′ily.—n. Sketch′iness.—adj. Sketch′y, containing a sketch or outline: incomplete, slight. [Dut. schets, It. schizzo—L. schediumschedius, made off-hand—Gr. schedios, sudden.]

Suggested Resources

  1. sketch

    Song lyrics by sketch -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by sketch on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. SKETCH

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Sketch is ranked #131379 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Sketch surname appeared 129 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Sketch.

    99.2% or 128 total occurrences were White.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'sketch' in Nouns Frequency: #2736

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce sketch?

How to say sketch in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of sketch in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of sketch in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of sketch in a Sentence

  1. Joe Piscopo:

    It was such a great, organized sketch, but don’t put Stormy Daniels in there — what do I tell my kids?

  2. Eddie Murphy:

    I totally understood, it was the biggest thing in the news at the time. I can see why they thought it would be funny, and the sketch that Norm [Macdonald] wrote was hysterical.

  3. John Koenig:

    We sketch monsters on the map because we find their presence comforting. They guard the edges of the abyss, and force us to look away; so we can live comfortably in the Known World, at least for a little while.

  4. Jim Jefferies:

    This is just cancel culture, the guy shouldnt have been fired, its just a couple of things back in his history. Are we going to go through everyones history, or are we going to get rid of every sketch that Saturday Night Live has done that involved race ? WALLS OF JERICHO DRUMMER ARRESTED WITH OVER 630 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA While many comedians feel that cancel culture is unfair and unjust, there are some that feel its necessary and will help the art form grow. Caley Chase, daughter of legendary comic Chevy Chase and a standup comedian herself, spoke with The Los Angeles Times about how far comedians can go. There are some bad people out there, and there are some really [ bad ] things to say, she said. Theres a line. Did you hurt someone ? Thats the line. Another.

  5. Sarah Silverman:

    I don't stand by the blackface sketch, i'm horrified by it, and I can't erase it. I can only be changed by it and move on.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

sketch#10000#11392#100000

Translations for sketch

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"sketch." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 12 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/sketch>.

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