creepy

[kree-pee]

adjective

creepier, creepiest 

1. having or causing a creeping sensation of the skin, as from horror or fear.

   a creepy ghost story.

2. that creeps: creep.

   a creepy insect.

3. Slang.,  of, relating to, or characteristic of a person who is a creep; creep; obnoxious; weird.

creepy

/ ˈkriːpɪ /

adjective

1. informal,  having or causing a sensation of repulsion, horror, or fear, as of creatures crawling on the skin

2. creeping; slow-moving

Other Word Forms

• creepily adverb
• creepiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of creepy¹

First recorded in 1825–35; creep + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Veiel’s inquiry becomes a time capsule from the 20th century with creepy echoes in our current era of corrosive dissembling.

From Los Angeles Times

Fox News doesn’t want to talk about the crude doodle of a naked woman, with its creepy message printed across her breasts and torso, and a signature — “Donald” — in her pubic area.

From Los Angeles Times

After a series of unfortunate eventsand increasingly violent visitations, a media frenzy surrounds them and the Warrens turn up to rid the house of creepy crawlies.

From Los Angeles Times

Stitch, Superman and a flock of creepy children drew audiences to movie theaters this summer, but it wasn’t enough to jolt box office revenue past even the dreary levels reached last year.

From Los Angeles Times

Richard E. Grant makes a very creepy cameo, bringing an element of danger otherwise absent from the film.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• awful 
• disgusting 
• disturbing 
• eerie 
• frightening www.thesaurus.com
• ghoulish 
• macabre 
• menacing 
• ominous 
• sinister 
• terrifying 
• weird