creepy
Americanadjective
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informal having or causing a sensation of repulsion, horror, or fear, as of creatures crawling on the skin
-
creeping; slow-moving
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of creepy
Explanation
Something is creepy if it feels like tiny things are crawling on you. The sensation of a spider on your arm is creepy. Ladybugs are pretty, but it still feels creepy when they crawl across your hand. Another kind of creepy feeling is something that gives you an unpleasant chill, like a creepy ghost story or the creepy sound of footsteps in your attic at night. The earliest meaning of creepy was simply "characterized by creeping," so in the 18th century you'd be creepy if you were simply tip-toeing quietly through your house.
Vocabulary lists containing creepy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s a reminder that sometimes what might look pleasingly retro is actually just old and creepy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Palmer doesn’t appear until the last 15 minutes, but her creepy performance is indelible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Some tips for scaredy cats: If you don’t like spooky scary skeletons, creepy crawlies, or horror flicks, Halloween season can be a fright to endure.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
The fight against data centers and private surveillance cameras has crossed partisan lines, bringing erstwhile enemies together in the fight against creepy tech.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Maybe there is some creepy ESP that passes through the umbilical cord, and she’ll never be free of it.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Every year, Halloween gets bigger, earlier and creepier.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
Keith’s Christopher, creepier and a bit clumsier, made me want to call campus security from the theater lobby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2023
Here, she’s called the Wood Sprite and is played by an icy-voiced Tilda Swinton, who also voices the Wood Sprite’s even creepier sister, Death.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 14, 2022
To counteract his reputation as “America’s best-loved hippie cartoonist,” Crumb made his work darker, creepier, more twisted and upsetting.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
Something about this place seemed even creepier than the palace basement in Split.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Creatures such as white dragon-like birds, glowing blue sponges, bug-eyed sloths, mutant frogs, flying bunnies and the creepiest of crawlies imaginable enrich each frame with impressive detail and lively color.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2024
A third person tweeted: “I can never un-hear this. It is fitting for Halloween as it’s one of the creepiest cringy things I’ve ever seen.”
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2024
Finally available in the 4K disc format, it’s easily one of the creepiest films of all time.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
The creepiest by far is “dead men’s fingers,” Decaisnea fargesii, whose pewter-blue, fingerlike fruits stand out against butter-yellow foliage and reach out to unwary visitors.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2023
“It was the creepiest thing I’ve ever done, and I was so disgusted with myself, I never did it again.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
