Meaning & use
creepy
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformal
Causing a shivery feeling of fear or unease, often because something is strange or spooky.
Grammar: Describes the thing or place causing fear: a creepy house.
Patterns
- creepy to do something
The abandoned hospital was creepy at night.
It's creepy how quiet the street gets after dark.
She told a creepy story around the campfire.
adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving
Behaving in an unsettling way that makes others uncomfortable, especially by staring or following.
Grammar: Describes a person's behavior: a creepy stranger.
Patterns
- creepy about something
He gave her a creepy stare across the bar.
Nobody liked the creepy neighbor who watched them from his window.
It felt creepy when the stranger kept texting her.
Word forms
| comparative | creepier |
|---|---|
| superlative | creepiest |
Common combinations
- creepy crawlies
- Kids love to search for creepy crawlies in the garden.
- creepy feeling
- I had a creepy feeling someone was behind me.
- creepy old house
- They explored a creepy old house at dusk.
- pretty creepy
- The doll was pretty creepy.
- creepy smile
- The clown wore a creepy smile.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eerie
- Eerie is more literary and suggests something strange and quietly unnatural, while creepy is more casual.
- spooky
- Spooky sounds lighter and playful, often about ghosts.
- sinister
- Sinister hints at real evil or danger, a heavier word than creepy.
- unnerving
- Unnerving stresses the effect of shaking your confidence, not the feeling of shivers.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: creepy or crispy?
creepy vs crispy
Crispy means crunchy and firm, not frightening.
Practice
The empty school looked ___ after dark, and we hurried past.
Choose one answer.
Creepy fits a place that causes unease; cheery is the opposite in feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “creepy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.