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⇱ creep - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

creep

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈkriːp/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/krip/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(krēp)

Inflections of 'creep' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
creeps
v 3rd person singular
creeping
v pres p
crept
v past
crept
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
creep /krip/USA pronunciation   v., crept/krɛpt/USA pronunciation   or, sometimes, creeped;
creep•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to move slowly with the body close to the ground, on hands and knees:[no object]The baby crept along on the carpet.
  2. to approach slowly and without being noticed:[~ + up]He crept up to the door.
  3. [no object] to go forward slowly and often with difficulty: The car crept up the hill.
  4. [~ + up + on + object] to sneak up behind someone: The prisoner crept up on the guard.
  5. [~ + in/into + object] to become noticed slowly over time: The writer's bias creeps into the story.
  6. Botany[no object] (of a plant) to grow along the ground, a wall, etc.

n. [countable]
  1. Slang TermsSlang. a peculiar or disgusting person.
  2. 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
  1. Idioms make one's flesh creep, to cause one to be frightened or disgusted:That horror movie will make your flesh creep.
See crawl.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
creep  (krēp),USA pronunciation v., crept, creep•ing, n. 
v.i. 
  1. to move slowly with the body close to the ground, as a reptile or an insect, or a person on hands and knees.
  2. to approach slowly, imperceptibly, or stealthily (often fol. by up):We crept up and peeked over the wall.
  3. to move or advance slowly or gradually:The automobile crept up the hill. Time just seems to creep along on these hot summer days.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. to move or behave timidly or servilely.
  7. to grow along the ground, a wall, etc., as a plant.
  8. to advance or develop gradually so as to infringe on or supplant something else:creeping inflation; creeping socialism.
  9. to slip, slide, or shift gradually;
    become displaced.
  10. Metallurgy(of a metal object) to become deformed, as under continuous loads or at high temperatures.
  11. Nautical, Naval Termsto grapple (usually fol. by for):The ships crept for their anchor chains.

v.t. 
  1. [Archaic.]to creep along or over.
  2. Idioms make one's flesh creep, to be frightening or repellent;
    cause one to experience uneasiness:The eerie stories made our flesh creep.

n. 
  1. an act or instance of creeping.
  2. Slang Termsa boring, disturbingly eccentric, painfully introverted, or obnoxious person.
  3. Slang Termsan intelligence or counterintelligence agent;
    spy.
  4. [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.
  5. Mechanicsthe gradual, permanent deformation of a body produced by a continued application of heat or stress.
  6. a grappling iron;
    grapnel.
  7. Military[Firearms.]the slack in a trigger mechanism before it releases the firing pin.
  8. See creep feeder. 
  9. 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. 
    1. See crawl. 3. inch, crawl, dawdle, poke.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
creep /kriːp/ vb (creeps, creeping, crept) (intransitive)
  1. to crawl with the body near to or touching the ground
  2. to move slowly, quietly, or cautiously
  3. to act in a servile way; fawn; cringe
  4. to move or slip out of place, as from pressure or wear
  5. (of plants) to grow along the ground or over rocks, producing roots, suckers, or tendrils at intervals
  6. to develop gradually: creeping unrest
  7. to have the sensation of something crawling over the skin
 n
  1. the act of creeping or a creeping movement
  2. slang a person considered to be obnoxious or servile
  3. 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
'creep' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: informal: a [nasty, little, dirty] creep, informal: a [pinball, zombie, vampire] creep, informal: He [gives, is giving] me the creeps., more...

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