cryptid

noun

cryp·​tid ˈkrip-təd 

plural cryptids

: an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist

Contrary to popular belief, cryptids don't have to be supernatural, mythical or even all that strange—though many popular creatures acquire these characteristics as their legends grow.

—Hayley Williams

… fighting the Grafton Monster—a monstrous cryptid vaguely resembling a cross between Bigfoot and a seal …

—Alan Olson

Examples of cryptid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mythical yeti is represented on a new Nike Dunk Low that’s been decked out in faux fur and icy shades to resemble the cryptid creature. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

At the same time, the researchers explicitly caution that their findings don’t validate arguments in favor of an aquatic cryptid in Scotland either. —Andrew Paul Jul 30, Popular Science, 30 July 2025

Hairy creature Inspired by legendary cryptids like Sasquatch, Yeti, and others worldwide, this emoji brings the mystery of the deep forest into the emoji lexicon without favoring any particular region's name. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025

Now the team is named after — not a cryptid — but a dude. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

crypt- (in crypto-) + -id entry 1

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cryptid

• scripted
• conscripted
• encrypted