feature creep

noun

The tendency of a design project or product cycle to accumulate more and more features or details, rather than to be completed and released at a more basic level.

“Our sales division promised our client a feature in our software that is currently not feasible for us to implement, which will certainly lead to feature creep.”

Similar
creeping featurismfeaturitis
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Meanings

nounfeature creep (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe tendency of a design project or product cycle to accumulate more and more features or details, rather than to be completed and released at a more basic level.

    Our sales division promised our client a feature in our software that is currently not feasible for us to implement, which will certainly lead to feature creep.

    Synonyms: creeping featurism, featuritis

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe tendency of a design project or product cycle to accumulate more and more features or details, rather than to be completed and released at a more basic level.

Similar
creeping featurismfeaturitis
Cite this entry
APA

feature creep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feature%20creep

MLA

“feature creep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feature%20creep. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feature creep,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feature%20creep.

Source: feature creep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.