creep

1 of 2

verb

crept ˈkrept How to pronounce creep (audio) ; creeping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move along with the body prone and close to the ground
A spider was creeping along the bathroom floor.
b
: to move slowly on hands and knees
He crept toward the edge of the cliff.
2
a
: to go very slowly
The hours crept by.
b
: to go timidly or cautiously so as to escape notice
She crept away from the festive scene.
c
: to enter or advance gradually so as to be almost unnoticed
Age creeps up on us.
A note of irritation crept into her voice.
3
: to have the sensation of being covered with creeping things
The thought made his flesh creep.
4
of a plant : to spread or grow over a surface rooting at intervals or clinging with tendrils, stems, or aerial roots
5
a
: to slip or gradually shift position
The high temperatures of the jet engine cause the turbine blade to creep.
b
: to change shape permanently from prolonged stress or exposure to high temperatures

creep

2 of 2

noun

1
: a movement of or like creeping
traffic moving at a creep
2
: a distressing sensation like that caused by the creeping of insects over one's flesh
especially : a feeling of apprehension or horror
usually used in plural with the
That gives me the creeps.
3
: a feed trough accessible only by young animals and used especially to supply special or supplementary feed

called also creep feeder

4
: the slow change of dimensions of an object from prolonged exposure to high temperature or stress
5
: an unpleasant or obnoxious person
6
: a slow but persistent increase or elevation
This political inertia … makes budget creep inevitable.The Wall Street Journal

Examples of creep in a Sentence

Verb She crept toward the edge of the roof and looked over. I caught him creeping down the stairs to the kitchen. She crept into bed next to her sleeping husband. The hours crept by as we waited for morning. a train creeping through the town The price of gasoline has crept back up to three dollars a gallon. A few mistakes crept in during the last revision of the paper. new words creeping into the language Noun I get the creeps every time he walks by. I hate snakes. They give me the creeps. That guy gives me the creeps.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
By Zoë Schlanger The smallest hint of frustration had crept into John Kerry’s voice. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2024 In Truckee and Tahoe City, motorists crept slowly past the many businesses kept closed because of the storm. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 Avian influenza has been creeping toward the continent for months. Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 But fear, anxiety and lack can creep in to run the show. Jodie Cook, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The dog crept toward Studer as its owner called the dog. Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 In Europe, wartime exigencies have muted concerns about creeping authoritarianism on NATO’s eastern and southern fronts. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 This dropped to approximately 65% the year the change was made, but has crept back up to around 85% in the two years since. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 In the fall of 2020, when Sean was attacked, DCF’s wait list for forensic beds had crept up to about 450, according to records obtained by the Herald. Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2024
Noun
This flurry of new research highlights two aspects of the same problem: the slow creep of college graduates into jobs that don’t require college degrees. Preston Cooper, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The nature of ad creep is that marketers will eventually find your eyeballs. Kate Lindsay, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2024 König is a creep for the ages, and Stevens has a lip-smacking good time being solicitous but casually skeevy with Gretchen while showing an inordinate interest in Alma. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 Lifestyle creep can take the form of buying more conveniences — like ordering food in more often — or buying more expensive or higher-quality items, like sturdier hiking boots or a better brand of skin care products. Chanelle Bessette Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024 May plays Henrietta, a very rich, very awkward botanist with zero social skills who is targeted by a gold-digging creep (the excellent grump, Mr. Walter Matthau). Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024 Characters include Anna, the only female player; Frank, the unwelcome creep; and Jim, the game master who railroads the game’s story. Canwen Xu, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 But Phoenix’s Napoleon is the same man in every setting and at every stage of his career: a middle-aged creep impersonating a man of extraordinary vigor. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 But the subtle, ever-encroaching creep of Microsoft's non-Windows stuff into Windows feels like the company trying to squeeze its users for just a bit more revenue as Windows' market share gradually ticks downward year after year. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 21 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English crepen, from Old English crēopan; akin to Old Norse krjūpa to creep

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of creep was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near creep

Cite this Entry

“Creep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creep. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

creep

1 of 2 verb
crept ˈkrept How to pronounce creep (audio) ; creeping
1
: to move along with the body close to the ground : move slowly on hands and knees
2
: to advance slowly, timidly, or quietly
the tide crept up the beach
3
: to spread or grow over the ground or a surface
a creeping vine
4
: to slip or gradually shift position
5
: to feel as though insects were crawling on the body
the shriek made my flesh creep

creep

2 of 2 noun
1
: a creeping movement
2
a
: a sensation like that of insects creeping over one's flesh
b
: a feeling of horror
usually used in plural with the
the story gave me the creeps
3
: an unpleasant or hateful person

More from Merriam-Webster on creep

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