creepy

adjective

ˈkrē-pē 

creepier; creepiest

1

: producing a nervous shivery apprehension

a creepy horror story

also : eerie

2

: of, relating to, or being a creep : annoyingly unpleasant

a creepy old man

creepily

ˈkrē-pə-lē 

adverb

creepiness

ˈkrē-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of creepy

• eerie
• haunting

Examples of creepy in a Sentence

There's something creepy about that guy.

a fascinating but creepy stage show by an offbeat magician

Recent Examples on the Web

Props, too, to director of photography Tyson Perkins for cloaking it with moody shadows that fosters its creepy feel. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026

The last four movies have had creepy, menacing characters such as Sid, Stinky Pete, Gabby Gabby and the Bensons ventriloquist dummies. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 June 2026

The island village is beset by sea hags, serial killers, creepy clowns and other evils that interfere with Tom’s dream of turning Widow’s Bay into a Martha’s Vineyard-like tourist destination. — Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026

While the island doesn’t seem to need to eat people directly, there is a hungry entity of some sort that lives beyond the cellar door in the creepy chair room. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see creep entry 1

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing creepy

• creepy-crawler
• creepy crawly

Rhymes for creepy

• sleepy
• principe

Kids Definition

creepy

adjective

ˈkrē-pē 

creepier; creepiest

: having or producing a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin

especially : eerie

creepily

-pə-lē 

adverb

creepiness noun