Crawling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb phrase noun adjective /ˈkrȯl/

Meaning & Definition of Crawling

Crawling (verb)

  1. to move on one's hands and knees
  2. to move slowly in a prone position without or as if without the use of limbs
  3. to move or progress slowly or laboriously

Crawling (phrase)

  1. to go to (someone) for help or approval in a way that shows one is weak or sorry for what one has done

Crawling (noun)

  1. the visiting of various pubs in succession especially as a social activity —called also bar crawl

Crawling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed

    "the crawling pace of the narrative is really frustrating"

    similar: creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky, slow, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, tardy, unhurried
    related: deliberate, measured, inactive, inert, lethargic, loafing, lounging, lingering, loitering, tarrying, ambling, heavy-footed, inching, plodding, shuffling, slow-footed, strolling, decelerating, slowing, filibustering, procrastinating, stalling
    opposite: barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind, whisking, zipping
    near: expeditious, prompt, ready, accelerated, hastened, quickened, hurried, rushed

Crawling (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move slowly with the body close to the ground

    "the time we had to crawl through a narrow passageway from one cave to another"

    similar: bellying, creeping, groveling, sliding, slithering, snaking, worming, wriggling
    related: crouching, squatting, edging, inching, nosing, skulking, sneaking, stealing, tiptoeing

  2. to move slowly

    "the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled"

    similar: creaking (along), creeping, dragging, inching, limping, nosing, oozing, plodding, poking, slouching, snailing
    related: lumbering, shambling, shuffling, tramping, trudging
    opposite: flying, racing, speeding, whizzing, zipping
    near: floating, gliding, sailing, hurrying, tearing

  3. to move or act slowly

    "the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl"

    similar: creeping, dallying, dawdling, delaying, diddling, dillydallying, dragging, lagging, lingering, loitering, lollygagging, moping, poking, shilly-shallying, tarrying, dragging one's feet, dropping behind, falling behind, hanging fire, marking time, taking one's time
    related: fiddling (around), fooling around, messing around, monkeying (around), playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling, hanging (around or out), idling, loafing, lolling, lounging, ambling, easing, inching, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, staggering, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up), filibustering, procrastinating, stalling, temporizing
    opposite: barreling, bolting, careering, coursing, dashing, flying, hastening, hotfooting (it), hurrying, racing, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, speeding, tearing, whirling, whisking, whizzing, zipping
    near: bowling, breezing, darting, humping, hurtling, hustling, scrambling, stampeding, galloping, jogging, running, sprinting, trotting, accelerating, quickening, speeding (up), catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking

  4. to be copiously supplied

    "something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters"

    similar: abounding, brimming, bristling, bulging, bursting, bustling, buzzing, humming, overflowing, pullulating, swarming, teeming
    near: lacking, needing, wanting

Related Entry: Crawl (verb)

Crawl is a different word from Crawling. The synonyms below are for crawl, not for crawling.

  1. to move slowly with the body close to the ground

    "the time we had to crawl through a narrow passageway from one cave to another"

    similar: belly, creep, grovel, slide, slither, snake, worm, wriggle
    related: crouch, squat, edge, inch, nose, skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe

  2. to move slowly

    "the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled"

    similar: creak (along), creep, drag, inch, limp, nose, ooze, plod, poke, slouch, snail
    related: lumber, shamble, shuffle, tramp, trudge
    opposite: fly, race, speed, whiz, zip
    near: float, glide, sail, hurry, tear

  3. to move or act slowly

    "the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl"

    similar: creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time
    related: fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize
    opposite: barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip
    near: bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

  4. to be copiously supplied

    "something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters"

    similar: abound, brim, bristle, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, hum, overflow, pullulate, swarm, teem
    near: lack, need, want

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Crawling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Crawling:

creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky, slow, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, tardy, unhurried, bellying, groveling, sliding, slithering, snaking, worming, wriggling, creaking (along), inching, limping, nosing, oozing, plodding, slouching, snailing, delaying, diddling, lingering, loitering, lollygagging, moping, shilly-shallying

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Crawling

Words with the opposite meaning of Crawling:

barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind

Related Words for Crawling

deliberate, measured, inactive, inert, lethargic, loafing, lounging, ambling, heavy-footed, shuffling, slow-footed, strolling, decelerating, slowing, filibustering, procrastinating, stalling, crouching, squatting, edging, skulking, sneaking, stealing, tiptoeing, lumbering, shambling, tramping, trudging, fiddling (around), fooling around

Near Antonyms of Crawling

expeditious, prompt, ready, accelerated, hastened, quickened, hurried, rushed, floating, gliding, sailing, bowling, breezing, darting, humping, hurtling, hustling, scrambling, stampeding, galloping, jogging, sprinting, trotting, accelerating, quickening, speeding (up), catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning

Word Forms of Crawling

Inflections: crawled, crawls, pub crawls

Derived words: pub-crawl (intransitive verb), pub crawler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Crawling

Middle English, from Old Norse krafla

First known use: 14th centuryi

Words & Phrases Containing Crawling

come/go crawling to

Frequently Asked Questions about Crawling

What does "Crawling" mean?

"Crawling" means to move on one's hands and knees. As an a verb, a phrase, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to move on one's hands and knees. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Crawling"?

Other words for "Crawling" include creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard and lagging. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Crawling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Crawling"?

There are 103 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Crawling". Common alternatives include creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid and leisurely.

What is the opposite of "Crawling"?

Antonyms of "Crawling" include barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy and fast. Near antonyms include expeditious, prompt, ready and accelerated.

How do you use "Crawling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Crawling" in a sentence: "the crawling pace of the narrative is really frustrating"; "the time we had to crawl through a narrow passageway from one cave to another"; "the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled".

Is "Crawling" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Crawling" can be used as a verb, a phrase, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Crawling"?

"Crawling" is pronounced /ˈkrȯl/.

What is the origin of the word "Crawling"?

"Crawling" comes from Middle English, from Old Norse krafla. First known use: 14th centuryi.