creep

play

verb \ˈkrēp\

Definition of creep

crept

play \ˈkrept\;

creeping

intransitive verb
1a : 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.
2a : 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
5a : 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

See creep defined for English-language learners

See creep defined for kids

Examples of creep in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of creep from the Web

Headlines have crept ever closer to the new president’s circle of trust.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "A wife can be a valuable asset, Mr. President," 17 July 2017
Yurts made of white felt are creeping steadily up the hillsides, like a glacier in reverse.

— The Economist, "Herd on the streetVillas v yurts in Mongolia," 13 July 2017
Schoenrock watched football creep into his pitcher’s baseball routine.

— kalyn kahler, The MMQB, "How his time on the mound helped steel the Patriots kicker for the loneliest job in football," 12 July 2017
Among drought-tolerant plants chosen for the yard were kangaroo paw, creeping rosemary, lantana, sweet peas, society garlic, blue chalksticks (a succulent) and New Zealand flax.

— chris ross, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Couple traded lawn for more nature-friendly landscape," 7 July 2017
Some of the ice walls spewed milky waterfalls as the behemoths slowly melted and crept inexorably toward their demise in the frigid ocean water.

— doug hansen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cruising around Cape Horn is South American adventure," 29 June 2017
Andrew Henderson/Courier-Journal The Louisville Loop around the city creeps ever closer to completion, though the finish line is still years off.

— andrew henderson, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville Loop, trying to come full circle, requires funding for future phases," 26 June 2017
Andrew Henderson/Courier-Journal The Louisville Loop around the city creeps ever closer to completion, though the finish line is still years off.

— andrew henderson, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville Loop, trying to come full circle, requires funding for future phases," 26 June 2017
Payday loan stores had crept onto Main Street, once a bustling retail district.

— ellen cagle, kansascity.com, "Photography exhibit puts Kansas City’s historic architecture in the spotlight," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'creep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of creep

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

creep

noun

Definition of creep

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

See creep defined for English-language learners

Examples of creep in a Sentence

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 of creep from the Web

That bit of mission creep is complicating things for the GOP, and could lead to deadlock.

— Washington Post, "Medicaid mission creep threatens GOP’s ‘Obamacare’ repeal," 27 June 2017
The combination of the non-gearbox and the torquey engine also created some surging at low speeds; there’s little idle creep and the car tends to lunge as soon as the throttle is pressed.

— mike duff, Car and Driver, "2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross," 26 June 2017
The tentacles into creepy Florida gambling society and the desperate creeps staying a few steps ahead of the law make this a great summer read.

— peter king, The MMQB, "The Hunt for Carson Wentz and Father’s Day Books," 12 June 2017
But of course those two sides were entwined, like Ginger and the creep who beat her.

— elisabeth egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award finalist: "Errata" by Carol Keeley," 10 June 2017
Armed with snake tongs and 5-gallon buckets, the group taking to the field last month is part of a 30-year quest by CWU biologist Dan Beck to uncover the secrets of a creature that gives most people the creeps.

— sandi doughton, The Seattle Times, "Don’t fear Washington state’s only rattler — get to know it, biologist urges," 5 June 2017
Frank leered in on Doug and LeAnn’s hook up, which may have been a bid by her for renewed access to the White House or may have just indicated her crush on D.C.’s biggest creep.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "House of Cards Season 5, Episode 11: The Live-Binge Review," 2 June 2017
The 2016 GAO report congratulated NASA for slowing budget creep in recent years, but attributed it only in part to new project management tools, with the rest of the credit going to rising baseline estimates that hide percentage-wise growth.

— charlie wood, The Christian Science Monitor, "Where are all the space hotels? Why smart people make terrible forecasts.," 1 June 2017
Lyft and Uber would be doomed if the cars stunk and the drivers were creeps.

— scott canon, kansascity.com, "Digital Life: Tech in a nanny state or Ayn Rand wonderland," 29 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of creep

see ¹creep

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1818

See Words from the same year

CREEP Defined for English Language Learners

creep

play

verb

Definition of creep for English Language Learners

: to move slowly with the body close to the ground
: to move slowly and quietly especially in order to not be noticed
: to go or seem to go very slowly

creep

noun

Definition of creep for English Language Learners

: a strange person who you strongly dislike
the creeps : an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or fear

CREEP Defined for Kids

creep

play

verb \ˈkrēp\

Definition of creep for Students

crept

\ˈkrept\;

creeping

1 : to move along with the body close to the ground or floor : move slowly on hands and knees : crawl
2 : to move or advance slowly, timidly, or quietly Moving quietly, I crept halfway down the stairs and listened. — Avi, Crispin
3 : to grow or spread along the ground or along a surface Ivy was creeping up a wall.

creep

play

noun

Definition of creep for Students

1 : a strange or unlikable person
2 : a slow, timid, or quiet movement
3 : a feeling of nervousness or fear —usually used in pl. Spiders give me the creeps.