Synonyms

creeps

American

[kreeps] / krips /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

Veterinary Pathology. a disease of the bones in sheep and cattle that causes pain in walking, resulting from a deficiency of phosphorus in the diet.

creeps British

/ kriːps /

plural noun

informal a feeling of fear, repulsion, disgust, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of creeps

So called from the effect on the animal's gait; creep, -s ³

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.

People who diet instead can expect to lose less weight than with the jabs, but afterwards weight creeps back on more slowly - perhaps around 0.1 kg a month - say the researchers, although it does vary.

From BBC

"We don't know why it happens, it just creeps up on them over a course of one or two years," he added.

From BBC

The guilt creeps into both children at all hours of the day.

From Los Angeles Times

You feel it when your grocery bill creeps up.

From MarketWatch

The second reason, of course, is the one that creeps into every conversation sooner or later: social media.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023