Meaning & use

creep

verb·Everyday

To move slowly, quietly, or cautiously, often in order to avoid being noticed.

See it in a sentence

The cat crept silently along the fence, watching the sparrows in the garden.

Fog crept slowly across the valley as the temperature dropped after sunset.

A note on using this word

As a noun, 'creep' is an informal put-down and can sound harsh; reserve it for genuinely unsettling behavior rather than mild awkwardness.

Words with a similar meaning

slinksneak

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

Informal: a person who behaves in an unpleasant, creepy, or unsettling way.

Everyone at the party avoided the creep who kept staring at people uncomfortably.

Make it your own

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