creepy

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹiːpi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: krīʹpī, IPA^(key): /ˈkɹipi/
• Rhymes: -iːpi
• Hyphenation: creep‧y

Adjective

creepy (comparative creepier, superlative creepiest)

1. Moving by creeping along.

   creepy-crawlies

   • 1876, Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark […] , London: Macmillan, Fit the Fifth.⁠ The Beaver's Lesson:

     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.

2. (informal) Producing an uneasy fearful sensation, as of things crawling over one's skin.

   creepy ghosts

3. (informal) Causing discomfort or repulsion due to strange or eccentric behavior.
4. (informal, especially) Causing discomfort through exhibiting sexually inappropriate behavior.

   That creepy old man keeps leering at me!

   • 2022, Scott Bell, Pest Cemetery, page 235:

     "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. […]"

5. (informal, uncommon) Feeling an uneasy fearful sensation; creeped out.
   • 1920, Algernon Blackwood, First Hate:

     “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. […]

Derived terms

• creepify
• creepily
• creepiness
• creepy-ass
• creepy crawler
• creepy-crawly
• creepypasta
• creepy-peepy
• creepy weepy
• uncreepy

 

Related terms

• creeper
• creep out

 

Translations

moving by creeping along

• Bulgarian: пълзящ (bg) (pǎlzjašt)
• German: kriechend (de)
• Russian: ползучий (ru) (polzučij)

producing a fearful sensation

• Arabic: مفزع m
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Basque: beldurgarria
• Bulgarian: предизвикващ тръпки (predizvikvašt trǎpki)
• Catalan: esborronador (ca), aborronador
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 詭異／诡异 (zh) (guǐyì), 嚇人／吓人 (zh) (xiàrén), 恐怖 (zh) (kǒngbù)

• Dutch: griezelig (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: karmiva (fi)
• French: angoissant (fr) m, flippant (fr)
• German: gruselig (de), schaurig (de), schauerlich, unheimlich (de)
• Hungarian: hátborzongató (hu), rémisztő (hu), kísérteties (hu), félelmetes (hu)
• Icelandic: hrollvekjandi
• Irish: fuarú, aisteach
• Italian: angosciante (it), inquietante (it)
• Japanese: 気持ち悪い (ja) (kimochiwarui), 気味悪い (kimiwarui)
• Khmer: គួរឱ្យខ្លាច (kuor aoy khlach), គួរឱ្យភ័យខ្លាច (kuor aoy phyokhlach)
• Macedonian: мо́рничав (mórničav), ко́шмарен (kóšmaren), стра́шен (strášen)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: horripilante (pt)
• Russian: жу́ткий (ru) (žútkij), броса́ющий в дрожь (brosájuščij v drožʹ), вызыва́ющий мура́шки (vyzyvájuščij muráški), противный (ru) (protivnyj), гадкий (ru) (gadkij), гадливый (ru) (gadlivyj), отталкивающий (ru) (ottalkivajuščij), страхолюдный (ru) (straxoljudnyj), отпугивающий (ru) (otpugivajuščij), кошмарный (ru) (košmarnyj), кошмарный (ru) (košmarnyj), страшенный (ru) (strašennyj) (colloquial)
• Scottish Gaelic: uaigealta, èiginneach
• Spanish: espeluznante (es), escalofriante (es)
• Swedish: kuslig (sv), obehaglig (sv)
• Thai: น่ากลัว (nâa-gluua), น่าขนลุก (Ǹā k̄hnluk)
• Turkish: ürpertici (tr)
• Vietnamese: đáng sợ (vi), kinh khủng (vi), khủng khiếp (vi), ghê gớm (vi)

feeling an uneasy fearful sensation

• Bulgarian: зловещ (bg) (zlovešt)

causing discomfort or repulsion

• Arabic: مخيف m
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 嚇人／吓人 (zh) (xiàrén), 恐怖 (zh) (kǒngbù)

• Dutch: please add this translation if you can
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: kammottava (fi)
• French: flippant (fr)
• German: abstoßend (de), widerlich (de), gruselig (de)
• Hebrew: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: крипо́вый (ru) (kripóvyj)
• Spanish: temible (es), perturbador, inquietante, desconcertante (es), incomodador (es), desconfortante
• Swedish: kuslig (sv), obehaglig (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: kinh tởm (vi)

Anagrams

• crepey, crêpey

Dutch

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English creepy.

Adjective

creepy (comparative creepyer, superlative creepy'st)

1. (informal) creepy (scary or sexually disconcerting)

   Het was daar 's nachts best creepy. ― It was pretty creepy there at night.

   Hij zat de hele tijd creepy naar haar te staren. ― He was staring at her creepily the whole time.

Related terms

• creep