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

The governing aesthetic is creepy red lighting, alien megastructures, and Eldritch Horror, which is ticking all the boxes for us. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail and Piper Rubio are back for more animatronic scares at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where the robotic mascots turn into creepy killers at night. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Dec. 2025

These sculptures are intended to be uncomfortable to wear and are made even creepier by the skin-like texture of the transparent, dull ochre rubber coating. —Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025

And a creepy mask appears on a pillow beside Bill’s sleeping wife, Alice, played by Cruise’s then-wife Kidman. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025

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
• praecipe
• 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