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:
“The Whisper Man” leans heavily on the twists and turns of its propulsive and menacing plot, which occasionally creaks like stairs to that creepy basement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
It isn’t creepy if it’s in the name of productivity, say the people doing the recording.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Prince Harry said in a witness statement this was "creepy" and he did not know how the newspaper could have obtained the information about the couple's separate whereabouts.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Smart glasses developed by various companies in various ways over the last 15 years or so have all eventually hit the same roadblock: They’re creepy.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Well, he’s sort of shadowy and terrifying and he made these creepy noises...”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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
"It's creepy trying to fall asleep with a ventriloquist dummy in your room, but it's way creepier when you wake up and it's not there anymore."
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2023
Deep into “R.M.N.,” an anatomy of the human condition, this powerhouse of a movie gets deeper, creepier and unnervingly familiar.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
Something about this place seemed even creepier than the palace basement in Split.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Life imitating art in the creepiest way possible.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2025
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
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
You might have found the creepiest thing on the entire internet, Jacques.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions 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.
