Creep — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkrēp/

Meaning & Definition of Creep

Creep (verb)

  1. to move along with the body prone and close to the ground
  2. to move slowly on hands and knees
  3. to go very slowly

Creep (noun)

  1. a movement of or like creeping
  2. a distressing sensation like that caused by the creeping of insects over one's flesh; especially, a feeling of apprehension or horror —usually used in plural with the
  3. a feed trough accessible only by young animals and used especially to supply special or supplementary feed —called also creep feeder

Creep (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person whose behavior is offensive to others

    "finally found the creep who kept throwing his trash in the woods"

    similar: bastard, beast, bleeder (British), blighter (chiefly British), boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, cretin, crud (slang), crumb (slang), cur, dirtbag (slang), dog, fink, heel, hound, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, reptile, rotter, schmuck (slang), scum, scumbag (slang), scuzzball (slang), skunk, sleaze, sleazebag (slang), sleazeball (slang), slime, slimeball (slang), slob, snake, so-and-so, sod (chiefly British), stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin, son of a gun
    related: barbarian, brute, caveman, Neanderthal, savage, loudmouth, vulgarian, lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch, booby, doofus (slang), fool, jackass, nincompoop, ninny, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, nut, schmo (slang), airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dink (slang), dolt, dope, dork (slang), goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey, brat, insolent, nuisance, pest, snip, snob, snoot, snot, dweeb (slang), nerd
    near: hero, heroine, idol, role model, gentleman, lady, angel, saint

Creep (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits

    "water crept slowly over the top of the tub and onto the floor"

    similar: encroach, inch, worm
    related: snake, sneak, entrench, impinge, infringe, intrude, invade, overpass, overreach, overrun, overshoot, overstep

  2. to move or act slowly

    "that Friday afternoon we were just creeping, waiting for the bell to sound so that we could start the long weekend"

    similar: crawl, 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

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

    "the kitten crept silently across the floor before suddenly pouncing on the mouse"

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

  4. to move slowly

    "the class hour seems to creep by"

    similar: crawl, creak (along), 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

Related Entry: Creep up (verb)

Creep up is a different word from Creep. The synonyms below are for creep up, not for creep.

  1. as in sneak up

    similar: sneak up, arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), adjoin, border, touch, verge, approach, belly up, close, close in, come up, draw on, near, nigh
    opposite: back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw, clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

Related Entry: Make one's flesh creep (phrase)

Make one's flesh creep is a different word from Creep. The synonyms below are for make one's flesh creep, not for creep.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affright, alarm, fright, frighten, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, give one the creeps
    related: appall, bowl over, dismay, floor, jolt, shake, shake up, amaze, astound, awe, chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, psych (out), undo, unman, unnerve, unstring, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, perturb, unsettle, upset, worry
    opposite: reassure
    near: assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire, steel

Related Entry: Made one's flesh creep (phrase)

Made one's flesh creep is a different word from Creep. The synonyms below are for made one's flesh creep, not for creep.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrighted, alarmed, frighted, frightened, horrified, panicked, scared, scarified, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized, gave one the creeps
    related: appalled, bowled over, dismayed, floored, jolted, shook, shook up, amazed, astounded, awed, chilled, daunted, demoralized, dispirited, emasculated, psyched (out), undid, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, discomforted, discomposed, disconcerted, disquieted, distracted, distressed, disturbed, perturbed, unsettled, upset, worried
    opposite: reassured
    near: assured, cheered, comforted, consoled, solaced, soothed, emboldened, encouraged, heartened, inspired, steeled

Related Entry: Makes one's flesh creep (phrase)

Makes one's flesh creep is a different word from Creep. The synonyms below are for makes one's flesh creep, not for creep.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrights, alarms, frightens, frights, horrifies, panics, scares, scarifies, shocks, spooks, startles, terrifies, terrorizes, gives one the creeps
    related: appalls, bowls over, dismays, floors, jolts, shakes, shakes up, amazes, astounds, awes, chills, daunts, demoralizes, dispirits, emasculates, psychs (out), undoes, unmans, unnerves, unstrings, discomforts, discomposes, disconcerts, disquiets, distracts, distresses, disturbs, perturbs, unsettles, upsets, worries
    opposite: reassures
    near: assures, cheers, comforts, consoles, solaces, soothes, emboldens, encourages, heartens, inspires, steels

Related Entry: Making one's flesh creep (phrase)

Making one's flesh creep is a different word from Creep. The synonyms below are for making one's flesh creep, not for creep.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrighting, alarming, frightening, frighting, horrifying, panicking, scarifying, scaring, shocking, spooking, startling, terrifying, terrorizing, giving one the creeps
    related: appalling, bowling over, dismaying, flooring, jolting, shaking, shaking up, amazing, astounding, awing, chilling, daunting, demoralizing, dispiriting, emasculating, psyching (out), undoing, unmanning, unnerving, unstringing, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distracting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, unsettling, upsetting, worrying
    opposite: reassuring
    near: assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, solacing, soothing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Creep

The most common words with a similar meaning to Creep:

Slang: crud, crumb, dirtbag, schmuck, scumbag, scuzzball, sleazebag, sleazeball, slimeball
Chiefly British: blighter, sod
British: bleeder
bastard, beast, boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, cretin, cur, dog, fink, heel, hound, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, reptile, rotter, scum, skunk, sleaze, slime, slob, snake, so-and-so, stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin, son of a gun, encroach

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Creep

Words with the opposite meaning of Creep:

barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip

Related Words for Creep

barbarian, brute, caveman, Neanderthal, savage, loudmouth, vulgarian, lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch, booby, doofus, fool, jackass, nincompoop, ninny, nit, nitwit, nut, schmo, airhead, birdbrain, blockhead

Near Antonyms of Creep

hero, heroine, idol, role model, gentleman, lady, angel, saint, bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, float

Word Forms of Creep

Inflections: crept, creeping

Origin & Etymology of Creep

Middle English crepen, from Old English crēopan; akin to Old Norse krjūpa to creep

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Creep

Words & Phrases Containing Creep

creep out, creep up on, bracket creep, mission creep, make someone's skin/flesh creep, creepshot, make someone's flesh crawl/creep

Frequently Asked Questions about Creep

What does "Creep" mean?

"Creep" means to move along with the body prone and close to the ground. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to move along with the body prone and close to the ground. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Creep"?

Other words for "Creep" include bastard, beast, bleeder, blighter, boor, bounder, bugger and buzzard. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Creep" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Creep"?

There are 183 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Creep". Common alternatives include bastard, beast, bleeder, blighter, boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad and chuff.

What is a slang word for "Creep"?

Slang words for "Creep" include crud, crumb, dirtbag, schmuck, scumbag and scuzzball.

What is the opposite of "Creep"?

Antonyms of "Creep" include barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten and hotfoot (it). Near antonyms include hero, heroine, idol and role model.

How do you use "Creep" in a sentence?

Examples of "Creep" in a sentence: "finally found the creep who kept throwing his trash in the woods"; "water crept slowly over the top of the tub and onto the floor"; "that Friday afternoon we were just creeping, waiting for the bell to sound so that we could start the long weekend".

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

"Creep" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Creep" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Creep" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.