Synonyms

creeps

American

[kreeps] / krips /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

Veterinary Pathology. a disease of the bones in sheep and cattle that causes pain in walking, resulting from a deficiency of phosphorus in the diet.

creeps British

/ kriːps /

plural noun

informal a feeling of fear, repulsion, disgust, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of creeps

So called from the effect on the animal's gait; creep, -s ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He hopes “A World Appears” encourages others to do the same: to observe what’s going on inside of them a little more, and when boredom, inevitably, creeps in to, perhaps, do nothing about it all.

From Los Angeles Times

Bomb cyclones typically occur when Arctic air creeps south and clashes with warm air, creating a storm that rapidly intensifies as its pressure suddenly drops — or “bombs out.”

From Los Angeles Times

“This is where human error creeps in,” Beryl says.

From Literature

Four main emotions drive every market — fear, greed, hope and regret — but hope is the deadliest, because it creeps in when a trade hits your stop loss and you don’t honor it.

From MarketWatch

Unreliability creeps in at the edges of his storytelling, and glimpses of chaos and confusion peep through the surface charm.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023