creep
(U.S., Canad., Austral., & N.Z.)
[verb]
Synonyms:
- sneak, approach unnoticed, skulk, slink, steal, tiptoe
- crawl, glide, slither, squirm, wriggle, writhe
[noun]
Synonyms:
- bootlicker (informal), crawler (slang), sneak, sycophant, toady

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Related Words: glide, slither, sneak, steal, tiptoe, edge, inch, sniggle, wriggle

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English Thesaurus: walk, wander, stride, pace, march, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. creep¹ /kriːp/ verb (past tense and past participle crept /krept/) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
[Language: Old English; Origin: creopan]

1. to move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attention
creep into/over/around etc
Johann would creep into the gallery to listen to the singers.
He crept back up the stairs, trying to avoid the ones that creaked.

2. if something such as an insect, small animal, or car creeps, it moves slowly and quietly ⇒ crawl
creep down/along/away etc
a caterpillar creeping down my arm

3. to gradually enter something and change it
creep in/into/over etc
Funny how religion is creeping into the environmental debate.

4. if a plant creeps, it grows or climbs up or along a particular place
creep up/over/around etc
ivy creeping up the walls of the building

5. if mist, clouds etc creep, they gradually fill or cover a place
creep into/over etc
Fog was creeping into the valley.

6. British English informal to be insincerely nice to someone, especially someone in authority, in order to gain an advantage for yourself
creep (up) to somebody
I’m not the kind of person to creep to anybody.

7. somebody/something makes my flesh creep used to say that someone or something makes you feel strong dislike or fear:
His glassy stare made my flesh creep.
creep up on somebody/something phrasal verb

1. to surprise someone by walking up behind them silently:
Don’t yell – let’s creep up on them and scare them.

2. if a feeling or idea creeps up on you, it gradually increases:
The feeling she had for Malcolm had crept up on her and taken her by surprise.

3. to seem to come sooner than you expect:
Somehow, the end of term had crept up on us.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. creep² noun [countable]

1. especially American English informal someone who you dislike extremely:
Get lost, you little creep!

2. British English informal someone who tries to make you like them or do things for them by being insincerely nice to you:
Don’t try and flatter her – she doesn’t approve of creeps.

3. give somebody the creeps if a person or place gives you the creeps, they make you feel nervous and a little frightened, especially because they are strange:
That house gives me the creeps.

4. mission/cost/grade etc creep when something gradually starts to go beyond what it was intended to deal with or include:
He denied that giving civilian tasks to the NATO forces was a case of mission creep.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

creep
verb
ADV. quietly | slowly | stealthily | about, around, back, in, out, up I could hear someone creeping around downstairs. He crept up behind me.
PREP. along He crept stealthily along the corridor.
down, into (figurative) Suspicion crept into her voice.
over (figurative) A feeling of dread crept over him.
out of, up on The cat quietly crept up on the pigeon. (figurative) Fatigue was creeping up on her.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

walk to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other:
I missed the bus so I decided to walk.
We’ve walked about eight miles today.
wander to walk without any clear purpose or direction:
They wandered around the narrow streets of the old city.
stride to walk with long steps in a determined, confident, or angry way:
A man in a suit came striding purposefully into the hall.
She strode onto the stage and began to address the audience.
pace to walk first in one direction and then in another many times, especially because you are nervous:
Nick was pacing up and down, waiting for the phone to ring.
march to walk quickly with firm regular steps – used especially about soldiers or someone who is angry:
The troops marched past with smart uniform and good discipline.
Sheila marched into the office and demanded an apology.
wade to walk through deep water:
We had to wade across the river.
stomp to walk putting your feet down very hard, especially because you are angry:
She turned and stomped off without looking back.
tiptoe to walk quietly and carefully on your toes because you do not want to make a noise:
I tiptoed out trying not to wake the baby.
creep to walk quietly and slowly because you do not want anyone to see or hear you:
Stella crept up the stairs, hoping not to wake her parents.
sneak to walk quietly so that no-one notices you, especially because you are doing something you should not do:
They sneaked off without paying.
I quickly sneaked out to have a cigarette.
pad to walk quietly without wearing shoes – also used about cats and dogs walking quietly:
Michelle got up and padded barefoot down to the kitchen.
The cat padded in, asking for her food.
trudge /trʌdʒ/ to walk in a slow tired way because it is difficult to continue walking, or you do not want to go somewhere:
The men trudged along the road, heads bent against the wind.
I’ve spent hours trudging around the shops looking for a present.
plod to walk slowly in a tired way – often used about a horse, donkey etc:
The donkey was plodding slowly along under its heavy load.
I plodded on growing thirstier and hungrier.
shuffle to walk very slowly and noisily without lifting your feet off the ground:
The old man got up and shuffled to the door.
limp to walk with difficulty because one leg hurts, so that you put most of your weight on the other leg:
Jake was limping because of the injury to his knee.
stagger to walk or move unsteadily, almost falling over, especially because you are drunk or have been injured:
They finally staggered back to the hotel at 4 o'clock in the morning.
He hit her and she staggered and fell.
hobble to walk with difficulty in a slow and unsteady way because your legs or feet hurt or have been injured:
My new shoes were so painful I could only hobble along.
She hobbled out to the car on crutches.
take a walk (also go for a walk) to walk somewhere for pleasure:
We went for a walk in the park.
stroll (also go for a stroll) to walk in a relaxed way, especially for pleasure:
People were strolling along beside the river.
On Sunday, they went for a stroll in the park.
hike (also go hiking) to walk a long way in the mountains or countryside as an activity you enjoy:
We’re going hiking in Scotland this summer.
They hiked around the Lake District.
Pat likes doing active things like hiking and horse-riding.
trek (also go trekking) to go for a walk lasting several days or weeks in a faraway place, carrying your clothes with you:
I’ve always wanted to go trekking in Nepal.
They trekked up to Everest Base Camp.
go for a walk
Let’s go for a walk on the beach.
take/have a walk
She took a walk through the town.
take somebody/a dog for a walk
Could you take the dog for a walk?
a long walk
We went for a long walk in the woods.
a short walk
The house is only a short walk from local shops.
a little walk
I just felt like a little walk.
a brisk walk
A brisk walk will improve your circulation.
an easy walk
From here it is an easy walk to the summit.
a five-mile/ten-kilometre etc walk
He began the five-mile walk back to town.
a five-minute/two-hour etc walk
There’s a good restaurant a five-minute walk away.
slog [singular] a long, tiring, and unpleasant walk, which continues for several hours:
It was a dreary slog over bleak and windswept hills.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

creep
kri:p
See: the creeps

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲