Creepy Meaning
/ˈkɹiːpi/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjMoving by creeping along.
adjProducing an uneasy fearful sensation, as of things crawling over one's skin.
Sentence Examples
Don't burst out laughing like that. It's creepy.
The robot was so lifelike that it was creepy.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old abandoned house had a ____ atmosphere that made everyone nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Don't burst out laughing like that. It's ____.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *grewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kreupaną Proto-West Germanic *kreupan Old English crēopan Middle English crepen English creep Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English creepy From creep + -y.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
""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:
"“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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old abandoned house had a ____ atmosphere that made everyone nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Don't burst out laughing like that. It's ____.