creeping

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UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈkriːpɪŋ/

From the verb creep: (⇒ conjugate)
creeping is: ⓘClick the infinitive to see all available inflections: v pres p

creep /krip/USA pronunciation v., crept/krɛpt/USA pronunciation or, sometimes, creeped;
creep•ing, n.
v.

to move slowly with the body close to the ground, on hands and knees:[no object]The baby crept along on the carpet.
to approach slowly and without being noticed:[~ + up]He crept up to the door.
[no object] to go forward slowly and often with difficulty: The car crept up the hill.
[~ + up + on + object] to sneak up behind someone: The prisoner crept up on the guard.
[~ + in/into + object] to become noticed slowly over time: The writer's bias creeps into the story.
Botany[no object] (of a plant) to grow along the ground, a wall, etc.

n. [countable]

Slang TermsSlang. a peculiar or disgusting person.
Informal Terms the creeps, a sensation of fear, disgust, or the like, as of something crawling over the skin: That movie gave me the creeps.

Idioms

Idioms make one's flesh creep, to cause one to be frightened or disgusted:That horror movie will make your flesh creep.

See crawl.

creep (krēp),USA pronunciation v., crept, creep•ing, n.
v.i.

to move slowly with the body close to the ground, as a reptile or an insect, or a person on hands and knees.
to approach slowly, imperceptibly, or stealthily (often fol. by up):We crept up and peeked over the wall.
to move or advance slowly or gradually:The automobile crept up the hill. Time just seems to creep along on these hot summer days.
to sneak up behind someone or without someone's knowledge (usually fol. by up on):The prisoners crept up on the guard and knocked him out.
to enter or become evident inconspicuously, gradually, or insidiously (often fol. by in or into:) The writer's personal bias occasionally creeps into the account.
to move or behave timidly or servilely.
to grow along the ground, a wall, etc., as a plant.
to advance or develop gradually so as to infringe on or supplant something else:creeping inflation; creeping socialism.
to slip, slide, or shift gradually;
become displaced.
Metallurgy(of a metal object) to become deformed, as under continuous loads or at high temperatures.
Nautical, Naval Termsto grapple (usually fol. by for):The ships crept for their anchor chains.

v.t.

[Archaic.]to creep along or over.
Idioms make one's flesh creep, to be frightening or repellent;
cause one to experience uneasiness:The eerie stories made our flesh creep.

an act or instance of creeping.
Slang Termsa boring, disturbingly eccentric, painfully introverted, or obnoxious person.
Slang Termsan intelligence or counterintelligence agent;
spy.
[Geol.]
- Geologythe gradual movement downhill of loose soil, rock, gravel, etc.;
  solifluction.
- Geologythe slow deformation of solid rock resulting from constant stress applied over long periods.
Mechanicsthe gradual, permanent deformation of a body produced by a continued application of heat or stress.
a grappling iron;
grapnel.
Military[Firearms.]the slack in a trigger mechanism before it releases the firing pin.
See creep feeder.
Informal Terms the creeps, a sensation of horror, fear, disgust, etc., suggestive of the feeling induced by something crawling over the skin:That horror movie gave me the creeps.

bef. 900; Middle English crepen, Old English crēopan; cognate with Dutch kruipen, Old Norse krjūpa

creep′ing•ly, adv.

crawl.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

creep /kriːp/ vb (creeps, creeping, crept) (intransitive)

to crawl with the body near to or touching the ground
to move slowly, quietly, or cautiously
to act in a servile way; fawn; cringe
to move or slip out of place, as from pressure or wear
(of plants) to grow along the ground or over rocks, producing roots, suckers, or tendrils at intervals
to develop gradually: creeping unrest
to have the sensation of something crawling over the skin

the act of creeping or a creeping movement
slang a person considered to be obnoxious or servile
the gradual downwards movement of loose rock material, soil, etc, on a slope

Etymology: Old English crēopan; related to Old Frisian kriāpa, Old Norse krjūpa, Middle Low German krūpen

'creeping' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

cancer - cloudberry - couch grass - cowberry - crawl - creep - creeper - creepy - cucumber - cucurbit - goutweed - ground ivy - grue - herpes - herpetology - ivy - myrtle - periwinkle - pigface - pumpkin - repent - reptant - reptile - rose of Sharon - running - serpent - silverweed - toothwort - wall pepper - wood sorrel - bead plant - Bermuda grass - bluegrass - blue phlox - brooklime - Canada bluegrass - capeweed - cinquefoil - creepage - creeping Charlie - creeping cinquefoil - creeping eruption - creeping fescue - creeping Jennie - creeping juniper - creepy-crawly - cross-vine - dichondra - dryas - inch plant

Synonyms: crawling, worming, squirming, writhing, wriggling, more...

Collocations: a creeping [feeling, sense] of [dread, desperation, doom], have a creeping sensation that, have a creeping sensation in my [stomach, throat], more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "creeping" in the title:

A-creeping
along of her creeping
comma with adjective: a creeping, Pan-European lifestyle
Complacency is creeping...same old same old
Creeping animals
creeping by ten miles from the Maginot Line
creeping from point to point [subject of 'creep']
creeping in
creeping into monstrosity, crouching early for its spring
creeping into you in every way
creeping moment
creeping of the flesh of somnolence
creeping on him
creeping sense
creeping up my butt
creeping up my night
"creeping urbanization of the countryside"
creeping..., [and] pushing
displeasure creeping up through the steering wheel
he <was past> creeping out of bed
her flesh was creeping
his back was creeping
House creeping
Internet-creeping
Just as pernicious is the creeping dysfunction that
Never in all my creeping up
the long-term prospect of creeping Argentine sovereignty ...
velvety creeping of skin
who <it> was creeping about

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⇱ creeping - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

creeping