creep
unpleasant or disturbing person
A person who acts in a strange or bad way that makes other people feel very uncomfortable or unsafe.
[someone] is a creep
- Stay away from that guy; he's a total creep.
- Some creep kept following her home from the bus stop.
- I blocked him on social media because he was acting like a creep in my messages.
- She left the party early after a creep wouldn't stop touching her arm.
- That man is a creep.
- My friend thinks her new boss is a creep.
- I don't want to talk to that creep again.
move quietly to avoid notice
To move very slowly and quietly so that other people or animals do not see or hear you.
to creep [somewhere] quietly
- The cat crept silently toward the birds.
- She crept into the house after midnight so she wouldn't wake her parents.
- A thief was caught on camera creeping around the backyard.
- He crept up behind his friend and shouted to scare him.
- The baby crept across the floor.
- I crept into my sister's room to get my book.
- She crept up the stairs very quietly.
- Someone was creeping around outside the window.
feeling of fear or disgust
A very strong bad feeling of fear or disgust, usually said as "the creeps".
[something] gives [someone] the creeps
- That empty house at the end of the street gives me the creeps.
- He gets the creeps every time he walks past the old cemetery.
- The way that doll's eyes follow you around the room really gives me the creeps.
- I had the creeps all night after watching that horror movie.
- Spiders give me the creeps.
- That dark room gives her the creeps.
- I get the creeps when I walk there at night.
move or go very slowly
To move or happen very slowly, so it feels like it is taking a long time.
[something] creeps [forward / by / along]
- Traffic crept along the highway during rush hour.
- The last ten minutes of the exam seemed to creep by.
- The line crept forward as each customer was served.
- A snail crept across the garden path.
- The bus crept along the busy road.
- The morning seemed to creep by at work.
- The line at the bank crept forward.
- The small animal crept along the fence.
gradually begin or appear
To start slowly and quietly, and then grow little by little so people do not see it at first, often in a bad way.
[something] creeps into / over [something or someone]
- Doubt began to creep into her mind after the second interview.
- A feeling of sadness crept over him as he read the news.
- Tiny mistakes can creep into the text if you do not proofread carefully.
- A slow smile crept across her face as she realized she had passed the exam.
- Fear crept into his voice.
- A cold feeling crept over my body.
- Small errors can creep into your work.
- A smile crept across his face.
slow unwanted increase or spread
A slow and steady rise or growth in something, often a bad or unplanned increase, for example in work or prices.
creep in [costs / scope / prices]
- Managers are worried about scope creep adding months to the project.
- There has been a slow price creep over the past year.
- Regulatory creep is making it harder for small businesses to operate.
- The report warns of mission creep if the army stays in the region too long.
- The company wants to stop scope creep on this project.
- We can see price creep in many food items this year.
- Mission creep is a problem in long military operations.
- Base: creep
- Plural: creep, creeps
- Base: creep
- 3rd Person Singular: creeps
- Present Participle: creeping
- Past: crept
- Past Participle: crept
- Irregular past: crept Verb
- Irregular past participle: crept Verb
creep by
1time passes very slowly
To pass very slowly, used especially about time that feels long and boring.
- The minutes crept by as we waited for the results.
- The afternoon crept by and still no one called.
- The final days before the holiday always seem to creep by.
creep in
1start to exist gradually
To start to be present slowly and quietly, often without people noticing and often in a bad way, for example mistakes or small changes.
- A few small errors crept in during the last round of editing.
- Doubt began to creep in as they waited for news.
- Over time, bad habits can creep in if you stop paying attention.
creep out
1make someone feel scared or sick
To make someone feel very uncomfortable, scared, or disgusted.
- That horror movie really creeped me out.
- He creeps out my friends when he stares like that.
- The empty streets at night totally creep me out.
creep over
1feeling slowly covers someone
For a feeling, such as fear, calm, or tiredness, to slowly cover and affect all of a person.
- A strange calm crept over her as she spoke.
- A feeling of panic crept over the crowd.
- Sleepiness crept over him during the long lecture.
creep up
1increase slowly and gradually
To rise or go up slowly and by small amounts, for example prices, numbers, or rates.
- Prices have been creeping up for months.
- The unemployment rate is creeping up again.
- Her weight crept up over the holidays.
creep up on
1approach or affect unexpectedly and slowly
To move close to a person without them seeing you, or for something like time, age, or a feeling to affect you slowly so that you do not notice it at first.
- He crept up on his brother and shouted "boo!" in his ear.
- Old age can creep up on you if you do not stay active.
- Exhaustion crept up on her after weeks of late nights.
get the creeps
1suddenly feel very uncomfortable
To suddenly feel very uncomfortable, scared, or disgusted because of something strange or scary.
- I get the creeps every time I walk past that house.
- She got the creeps when she heard footsteps behind her.
- Do you ever get the creeps in big empty buildings?
give someone the creeps
1make someone feel very uncomfortable
To make someone feel very uncomfortable, scared, or disgusted in a strong way.
- That abandoned hotel gives me the creeps.
- The way he smiles gives her the creeps.
- Old hospitals always give some people the creeps.
give someone the creeps
1make someone feel uneasy
to make someone feel scared or uncomfortable
- That abandoned playground at night gives me the creeps.
- He gives me the creeps, so I avoid being alone with him.
- The way the door kept opening by itself gave everyone the creeps.
mission creep
1gradual expansion of mission goals
A slow increase in what a group or organization is trying to do, so that it does more than its first clear goal.
- Critics warn that keeping troops there could lead to mission creep.
- The charity's work has grown, and some staff worry about mission creep.
- We must avoid mission creep and stay focused on our main target.
price creep
1slow increase in prices
A slow and steady rise in prices over time.
- Consumers are starting to notice price creep in basic foods.
- There has been quiet price creep in the housing market this year.
- The report highlights years of price creep in energy bills.
scope creep
1slow unplanned growth of project work
A slow and unplanned increase in the work or goals of a project, usually making it take more time and money.
- We need to control scope creep if we want to finish on time.
- Scope creep has added several extra features to the app.
- Clear requirements at the start can help avoid scope creep.