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creepy-crawly

American

[kree-pee-kraw-lee] / ˈkri piˈkrɔ li /

noun

plural

creepy-crawlies

a creeping or crawling animal, especially an insect.

adjective

creepy-crawlier, creepy-crawliest

creepy.

creepy-crawly British

noun

a small crawling creature

"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

adjective

feeling or causing a sensation as of creatures crawling on one's skin

"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 creepy-crawly

First recorded in 1855–60; creep, crawl ¹, -y ¹

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.

In the jungle, Nella has screamed her way through creepy-crawly and snake-infested bush tucker trials.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2023

At just under two hours, the film is too long to sustain its creepy-crawly ambitions.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2022

Picture Rob Dunn approaching his publisher: “I have an idea for a book about all the tiny insects, bacteria, and other creepy-crawly things that live in our homes.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 14, 2018

While suspenseful, this creepy-crawly tale had a disappointedly predictable ending.

From Slate • Sep. 2, 2018

I'm pretty sure that my makeshift bed has fleas, if the creepy-crawly sensation over my skin is any indication.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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