creeps
creeps Lexical Profile
creeps Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sensation of nervous fear, dread, or revulsion, as if things were crawling on one's skin (usually preceded by 'the').
"Walking through the abandoned, dimly lit hallway at midnight gave everyone the creeps."
Obnoxious, unpleasant, or unsettling people (plural of creep).
"She decided to leave the party early to avoid dealing with any obnoxious creeps."
Instances of gradual, almost imperceptible movement, shift, or expansion beyond original boundaries (plural of creep).
"Engineers monitored the hillside for soil creeps following weeks of heavy rainfall."
• verb
To move slowly and carefully, especially with the body close to the ground or in order to avoid being heard or noticed (third-person singular present of creep).
"The cat creeps silently through the tall grass while stalking a sparrow."
To develop, advance, or enter gradually and almost imperceptibly over time (third-person singular present of creep).
"Doubt often creeps into a person's mind when a complex project faces repeated delays."
To grow along the ground or over another surface by means of extending stems or tendrils (of a plant; third-person singular present of creep).
"English ivy creeps steadily up the old brick wall of the university library."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a sensation of fear or revulsion, 'creeps' is almost exclusively used as a plural tantum preceded by 'the' (as in 'to give someone the creeps').
• Rhymes for creeps
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'creopan', meaning to move with the body close to the ground, from Proto-Germanic '*kreupana'. The informal plural noun sense referring to a sensation of nervous dread emerged in the mid-19th century, popularized by Charles Dickens.