creep

verb \ ˈkrēp \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

crept play \ˈkrept\; 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

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

No one seems to know yet who crept onto the Rhoden properties to kill Tony’s younger brothers, a sister-in-law, a cousin, two nephews, a niece, and a soon-to-be-niece who never saw the wedding that would have officially made her a Rhoden.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Pike County: Death in the foothills," 15 May 2018
The latest fissure was several hundred yards long and spatter reached as high as tens of feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which reported lava creeping away from the vent.

— david montero, latimes.com, "New fissure prompts more evacuations near Kilauea volcano," 14 May 2018
Some Folsom Lake boaters got a rude surprise last year when a viper crept onto their vessel.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Young girl bitten by rattlesnake while playing on Effie Yeaw playground | The Sacramento Bee," 9 May 2018
Sources close to the talks have suggested there is a creeping feeling of uncertainty and pessimism going into the new round because of gridlock on the most critical issues.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Even a limited trade war with China could really cost the U.S. economy," 7 May 2018
Drone footage showed lava spouting along the fissures that had formed, creeping toward Leilani Estates homes and leaving lines of smoldering trees in their wake.

— amy b wang, chicagotribune.com, "'This is heartbreaking': Lava burns more homes on Hawaii's Big Island as new fissures form," 7 May 2018
Most adults over 50 need reading glasses — more than a billion people in the developing world, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness — though the vast majority simply accept their creeping disability.

— andrew jacobs, New York Times, "A Simple Way to Improve a Billion Lives: Eyeglasses," 5 May 2018
Housing and fuel costs, creeping inflation through much of last year and an unpopular goods-and-services tax of 6% introduced since the last election all irk them.

— The Economist, "Malaysia’s 92-year-old opposition leader makes a final challenge," 5 May 2018
They were damaged from lava creeping through the Puna district's Leilani Estates subdivision, CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reports.

— CBS News, "Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano: New eruption triggers house fires," 4 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

creep Synonyms

Phrases

drag one's feet (also drag one's heels), drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time;

creep

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