Meanings
comparative creepier · superlative creepiest
- Moving by creeping along.
creepy-crawlies
1 more example
The Beaver brought paper, portfolio, pens, / And ink in unfailing supplies: / While strange creepy creatures came out of their dens, / And watched them with wondering eyes.
1874–1876 (date written), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Fit the Fit the Fifth. The Beaver’s Lesson.”, in The Hunting of the Snark […], London: Macmillan and Co., published March 1876, →OCLC - informalCausing discomfort or repulsion due to strange or eccentric behavior.
- especiallyinformalCausing discomfort through exhibiting sexually inappropriate behavior.
That creepy old man keeps leering at me!
1 more example
"He doesn't look creepy," I said. "Kind of nerdy, in a harmless way. "Looks can be deceiving. See that camera? He was always going around with that camera, snapping pictures. Some girls caught him trying to get 'up skirt' shots while they sat at their desks.[…]"
2022, Scott Bell, Pest Cemetery, page 235 - informaluncommonFeeling an uneasy fearful sensation; creeped out.
“I felt creepy and afraid,” continued the other, with conviction. “I had the sensation of being seen by someone—as if someone, I mean, was watching me. […]
1920, Algernon Blackwood, First Hate
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveannoying and unpleasant
adjectivecausing a sensation as of things crawling on your skin
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*grewbʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*kreupaną
- Proto-West Germanic*kreupan
- Old Englishcrēopan
- Middle Englishcrepen
- Englishcreep
- Englishcreepy
Translations
Arabic مخيف, مفزع
- مخيفcausing discomfort or repulsion
- مفزعproducing a fearful sensation
Basque beldurgarria
- beldurgarriaproducing a fearful sensation
Bulgarian пълзящ, зловещ
- пълзящ (pălzjašt)moving by creeping along
- зловещ (zlovešt)feeling an uneasy fearful sensation
- предизвикващ тръпки (predizvikvašt trăpki)producing a fearful sensation
Catalan esborronador, aborronador
- esborronadorproducing a fearful sensation
- aborronadorproducing a fearful sensation
Chinese Mandarin 嚇人 /吓人, 恐怖
- 嚇人 /吓人 (xiàrén)causing discomfort or repulsion
- 恐怖 (kǒngbù)causing discomfort or repulsion
- 詭異 /诡异 (guǐyì)producing a fearful sensation
- 嚇人 /吓人 (xiàrén)producing a fearful sensation
- 恐怖 (kǒngbù)producing a fearful sensation
Danish uhyggelig, skræmmende
- uhyggeligproducing a fearful sensation
- skræmmendeproducing a fearful sensation
Dutch griezelig
- griezeligproducing a fearful sensation
Finnish kammottava, karmiva
- kammottavacausing discomfort or repulsion
- karmivaproducing a fearful sensation
French flippant, angoissant
- flippantcausing discomfort or repulsion
- angoissantproducing a fearful sensation
- flippantproducing a fearful sensation
German kriechend, abstoßend
- kriechendmoving by creeping along
- abstoßendcausing discomfort or repulsion
- widerlichcausing discomfort or repulsion
- gruseligcausing discomfort or repulsion
- gruseligproducing a fearful sensation
- schaurigproducing a fearful sensation
- schauerlichproducing a fearful sensation
- unheimlichproducing a fearful sensation
Hungarian hátborzongató, rémisztő
- hátborzongatóproducing a fearful sensation
- rémisztőproducing a fearful sensation
- kísértetiesproducing a fearful sensation
- félelmetesproducing a fearful sensation
Icelandic hrollvekjandi
- hrollvekjandiproducing a fearful sensation
Irish fuarú, aisteach
- fuarúproducing a fearful sensation
- aisteachproducing a fearful sensation
Italian angosciante, inquietante
- angoscianteproducing a fearful sensation
- inquietanteproducing a fearful sensation
Japanese 気持ち悪い, 気味悪い
- 気持ち悪い (kimochiwarui)producing a fearful sensation
- 気味悪い (kimiwarui)producing a fearful sensation
Portuguese horripilante
- horripilanteproducing a fearful sensation
Russian ползучий, крипо́вый
- ползучий (polzučij)moving by creeping along
- крипо́вый (kripóvyj)causing discomfort or repulsion
- крипо́вый (kripóvyj)feeling an uneasy fearful sensation
- жу́ткий (žútkij)producing a fearful sensation
- броса́ющий в дрожь (brosájuščij v drožʹ)producing a fearful sensation
- вызыва́ющий мура́шки (vyzyvájuščij muráški)producing a fearful sensation
- противный (protivnyj)producing a fearful sensation
- гадкий (gadkij)producing a fearful sensation
- гадливый (gadlivyj)producing a fearful sensation
- отталкивающий (ottalkivajuščij)producing a fearful sensation
- страхолюдный (straxoljudnyj)producing a fearful sensation
- отпугивающий (otpugivajuščij)producing a fearful sensation
Scottish Gaelic uaigealta, èiginneach
- uaigealtaproducing a fearful sensation
- èiginneachproducing a fearful sensation
Spanish inquietante, incomodador
- inquietantecausing discomfort or repulsion
- incomodadorcausing discomfort or repulsion
- incomodantecausing discomfort or repulsion
- espeluznanteproducing a fearful sensation
- escalofrianteproducing a fearful sensation
- dar mieditoproducing a fearful sensation
Swedish kuslig, obehaglig
- kusligcausing discomfort or repulsion
- obehagligcausing discomfort or repulsion
- kusligproducing a fearful sensation
- obehagligproducing a fearful sensation
Thai น่ากลัว, น่าขนลุก
- น่ากลัว (nâa-gluua)producing a fearful sensation
- น่าขนลุก (Ǹā k̄hnluk)producing a fearful sensation
Turkish ürpertici
- ürperticiproducing a fearful sensation
Vietnamese kinh tởm, đáng sợ
- kinh tởmcausing discomfort or repulsion
- đáng sợproducing a fearful sensation
- kinh khủngproducing a fearful sensation
- khủng khiếpproducing a fearful sensation
- ghê gớmproducing a fearful sensation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with creepy
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
creepy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creepy
“creepy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creepy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “creepy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creepy.
Source: creepy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.