adjective
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informal having or causing a sensation of repulsion, horror, or fear, as of creatures crawling on the skin
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creeping; slow-moving
Other Word Forms
- creepily adverb
- creepiness noun
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.
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.
The level of detail can be creepy, sure, but it’s also what makes the chatbot valuable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Not to be creepy about it or anything.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
That also goes for instances late in Mabel’s adventure in which “Hoppers” steps into amusingly creepy terrain, paying homage to the horror genre.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Like teens in a creepy house the software sub-sectors are being taken out methodically, one by one.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
The creepy old Bottle Tree forest stood in front of me, its canopy creating the illusion of a tunnel.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
