creaky

[kree-kee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR creaky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, creak·i·er, creak·i·est.

creaking or apt to creak: a creaky stairway.

run-down; dilapidated: a creaky shack.

Phonetics. (of the voice) produced by vibration of a small portion of the vocal cords while the arytenoid cartilages are held together, with little breath being released; laryngealized.

Origin of creaky

First recorded in 1825–35; creak + -y¹

Related formscreak·i·ly, adverbcreak·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for creaky

solid, stark, tight, tense, rigid, thick, wooden, creaky, arthritic, infirm, broken-down, run-down, shabby, dilapidated, crippled, frail, flimsy, ramshackle, seedy, rickety

Examples from the Web for creaky

Contemporary Examples of creaky

And when Bush misled our nation into war, the creaky old son of the coalfields gave his greatest roar.
Remembering Robert Byrd
Paul Begala
June 28, 2010
The songs, which have creaky titles like “All that Razz” and “Hooray for What's-not-good,” are belted out with pitchy gusto.
The Worst Awards in Hollywood
Sean Macaulay
March 7, 2010
We'll pay a hundred dollars an hour to sit in a creaky chair.
My Conversation with John Updike
Barbara Probst Solomon
January 29, 2009

Historical Examples of creaky

Mr Verloc heard the creaky plank in the floor, and was content.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Then he shaped with his mouth to use that and not the stairs, for the stairs were creaky.
W. A. G.'s Tale
Margaret Turnbull
Lovers now-a-days are much too middle-aged, and their joints are creaky.
The Explorer
W. Somerset Maugham
Then came a nervous shuffling of boots on the creaky boards.
The Border Legion
Zane Grey
It was a little unsteady and creaky to walk on, but very imposing to look at.
The Enchanted Castle
E. Nesbit

Word Origin and History for creaky

adj.

1834, from creak + -y (2). Related: Creakily; creakiness.