Synonyms of crawling

crawling 1 of 2

adjective

as in leisurely

moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed

the crawling pace of the narrative is really frustrating

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leisurely
• slow
• creeping
• dragging
• poking
• lagging
• poky
• slowing
• sluggish
• dilatory
• unhurried
• dallying
• laggard
• dillydallying
• dawdling
• snaillike
• tardy
• languid
• lounging
• snail-paced
• lethargic
• deliberate
• loitering
• ambling
• loafing
• lingering
• shuffling
• inert
• inactive
• plodding
• strolling
• measured
• decelerating
• inching
• stalling
• procrastinating
• tarrying
• heavy-footed
• slow-footed
• filibustering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rapid
• rushing
• running
• flying
• lightning
• swift
• quick
• speedy
• fast
• breathless
• racing
• speeding
• hasty
• dizzy
• bolting
• ready
• fleet
• whirlwind
• brisk
• rocketing
• meteoric
• snappy
• expeditious
• scooting
• scurrying
• prompt
• hurrying
• whirling
• zipping
• scudding
• barreling
• breakneck
• accelerated
• warp-speed
• whisking
• careering
• rushed
• quickened
• hastened
• hurried

crawling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of crawl

1

as in creeping

to move slowly with the body close to the ground

the time we had to crawl through a narrow passageway from one cave to another

Synonyms & Similar Words

• creeping
• sliding
• snaking
• slithering
• wriggling
• crouching
• tiptoeing
• sneaking
• squatting
• groveling
• worming
• bellying
• stealing
• inching
• edging
• skulking
• nosing

2

as in dragging

to move slowly

the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dragging
• creeping
• shuffling
• poking
• inching
• limping
• slouching
• oozing
• snailing
• creaking (along)
• plodding
• nosing
• shambling
• trudging
• tramping
• lumbering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• speeding
• racing
• floating
• gliding
• sailing
• whizzing
• zipping
• tearing
• hurrying

3

as in poking

to move or act slowly

the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dragging
• poking
• delaying
• lingering
• creeping
• strolling
• playing
• shuffling
• loitering
• dawdling
• lagging
• moping
• stalling
• falling behind
• diddling
• lounging
• dropping behind
• hanging fire
• lollygagging
• marking time
• tarrying
• staggering
• dallying
• idling
• dillydallying
• dragging one's feet
• sauntering
• taking one's time
• loafing
• ambling
• inching
• shilly-shallying
• fiddling (around)
• hanging (around or out)
• lolling
• puttering (around)
• fooling around
• decelerating
• pottering (around)
• trifling
• monkeying (around)
• messing around
• plodding
• lumbering
• procrastinating
• easing
• slowing (down or up)
• temporizing
• filibustering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• running
• tearing
• scurrying
• scooting
• rushing
• ripping
• hurrying
• whizzing
• whirling
• racing
• speeding
• zipping
• bolting
• hastening
• dashing
• scudding
• whisking
• barreling
• darting
• coursing
• scrambling
• careering
• rocketing
• hurtling
• humping
• running
• hustling
• bowling
• stampeding
• trotting
• galloping
• sprinting
• breezing
• jogging
• accelerating
• quickening
• hotfooting (it)
• speeding (up)
• overtaking
• outrunning
• outpacing
• catching up
• outstripping
• fast-forwarding

4

as in bursting

to be copiously supplied

something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bursting
• buzzing
• humming
• bulging
• swarming
• teeming
• brimming
• abounding
• pullulating
• bustling
• bristling
• overflowing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lacking
• wanting
• needing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crawling

Verb

They’re wrapped around thumbnails, crawling up ring fingernails, and shining with 3D dewdrops. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 27 July 2026

Fort Hood, Texas, one of the Army's largest bases, has closed one of its dining facilities after a video circulating on X appeared to show dozens of roaches crawling across the walls of the facility's kitchen. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Their hands are pretty full now with their 8-month-old son, Banks, crawling around. — Joe Smith, New York Times, 23 July 2026

The only person who isn’t happy to see a trash panda crawling into her home is Kesha, who posted a video of herself trying to keep out a raccoon. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 21 July 2026

One thing that Antetokounmpo doesn’t like about South Florida, though, are the iguanas crawling around. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Tents As a teenager, crawling into a small A-frame tent was a rite of passage. — Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026

With fervent editing, careful scene geography, and assured direction, the walk before the run can be tense enough to send viewers crawling out of their seats, willing the fugitive onscreen to get a move on already. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026

Health inspectors observed one small roach-like insect crawling from the mop sink to under the nearby prep table. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026