Synonyms of creeping

creeping 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkrē-piŋ 

as in leisurely

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

at this creeping pace of progress we'll never have the float ready for the parade

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

creeping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of creep

1

as in encroaching

to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits

water crept slowly over the top of the tub and onto the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• encroaching
• inching
• invading
• sneaking
• worming
• snaking
• impinging
• intruding
• entrenching
• overshooting
• infringing
• overstepping
• overreaching
• overrunning
• overpassing

2

as in lingering

to move or act slowly

that Friday afternoon we were just creeping, waiting for the bell to sound so that we could start the long weekend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

3

as in crawling

to move slowly with the body close to the ground

the kitten crept silently across the floor before suddenly pouncing on the mouse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

4

as in dragging

to move slowly

the class hour seems to creep by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of creeping

Adjective

The warmth of the film—shot on location in Positano, Italy—only adds to its creeping, sexy menace. — Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026

The overall effect is one of decadence laced with a creeping sense of horror. — Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023

As a child, she was plagued by anxiety and the creeping sense that adults, especially her mother, were keeping secrets from the kids. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2023

Then comes the creeping sense that their conversation is screwy. — Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022

For some, once the initial shock wore off, a creeping sense of inevitability set in. — Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 18 July 2022

This growing entanglement of the corporate and social, this creeping sense of being tracked by invisible eyes, demands an increasing sophistication about what is said and where. — Kara Devlin, Longreads, 20 May 2022

But beneath the know-it-all tweets, there is a creeping sense that the psychological distance between the masses of 401(k) investors and the billionaire marks may not be that far. — New York Times, 9 Oct. 2021

Verb

There are no shortage of issues with this club, but one that is creeping back into its clubhouse, and the franchise, is comfort. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026

The prospect of deploying fully autonomous drones on the battlefield may seem to be creeping closer. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026

These include dandelions, clover, plantain, creeping Charlie, and common ragweed. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 29 July 2026

Many of the dummies evolved admirably over the competition’s final hour, complete with fine laugh lines and subtle details like creeping wisps of nose hair, which were gingerly applied with tweezers and Krazy Glue. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

The surge in short interest coincides with a decidedly bearish sentiment creeping into what had been a relentlessly bullish AI trade. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

The entire garden is enclosed with stone walls (covered in creeping vines, of course) and tall hedges. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026

Cameron doesn't waste a second of that time, however, establishing characters (see above), introducing Newt, showing off the geography of the Hadley's Hope terraforming base, and building a creeping sense of dread. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026

But this summer is different — Elle just spent the night with her old friend Jonas, creeping away while their spouses were busy to sleep together for the first time. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026