creep1 verbcreep2 noun
creepcreep1 /kriːp/ ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle crept /krept/) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] 
WORD ORIGINcreep1
Origin:
Old English creopanVERB TABLE
creep
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | creep |
| he, she, it | creeps | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | crept |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have crept |
| he, she, it | has crept | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had crept |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will creep |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have crept |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am creeping |
| he, she, it | is creeping | |
| you, we, they | are creeping | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was creeping |
| you, we, they | were creeping | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been creeping |
| he, she, it | has been creeping | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been creeping |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be creeping |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been creeping |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Armed men in ski masks crept up on the van and raked it with gunfire.
- As the sun began to set, long shadows seemed to creep out of the corners.
- Clouds crept across the horizon, just above the line of trees.
- No-one noticed that the little boy had crept into the room and was sitting there, listening.
- Ron unlocked the back door and crept out into the yard.
- She crept up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
- The unemployment rate crept up to 5.7% in May.
- We crept down to the deserted library at the other end of the hall, so that we could talk.
- A sensible person respected the sleeping beast and crept away.
- At five o'clock she returned to the theatre and crept up the stairs to the dressing-room.
- But if you keep looking beyond the reflections you eventually notice the glow creeping into the sky.
- Mooney glanced back as Al Bibeau crept up to him.
- She crept into Chrissy's room, shutting the door silently behind her.
- This relative of the dogwood family, whose trees are well known farther south, here creeps along just under the soil.
- Trying to stay calm, he crept up on the statue.
THESAURUSto walk quietly
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.
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.
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.
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.
Longman Language Activatorto move slowly towards or away from something or someone if a vehicle crawls , it moves very slowly, because there is a lot of other traffic on the road, or because something is preventing it from moving at its usual speed: crawl along/down/up etc: · The old Buick barely managed to crawl up the hill.· We sat in the car with the radio on, crawling along behind a long line of other cars.
to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because there is not much space or because you do not want to be noticed: inch towards/forward/across etc: · The car inched forward into the narrow parking space.· We watched the cat inching along the ground, not taking its eyes off the bird for a second.inch your way along/towards/across etc: · I inched my way across the crowded room to where Lou was standing.
to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because you do not want to be noticed or because it would be dangerous to move more quickly: edge along/towards/across etc: · I started edging towards the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed.· He kept an eye on me as he edged across the room.· Billy edged along the ledge, trying not to look down.
if light, a shadow, mist, water etc creeps somewhere, it moves so slowly that you almost do not notice it; if someone creeps somewhere, they move slowly and quietly so that they will not be noticed: creep across/towards/up etc: · Clouds crept across the horizon, just above the line of trees.· Armed men in ski masks crept up on the van and raked it with gunfire.· As the sun began to set, long shadows seemed to creep out of the corners.· We crept down to the deserted library at the other end of the hall, so that we could talk.
to walk quietly to walk on your toes because you do not want to make any noise: tiptoe into/out of/past etc: · He tiptoed out of the room, trying not to wake the baby.· I tiptoed along the passage to Claire's door and peeped in.
to walk quietly and carefully because you do not want anyone to notice you: creep in/through/across etc: · Ron unlocked the back door and crept out into the yard.· No-one noticed that the little boy had crept into the room and was sitting there, listening.creep/sneak up behind somebody (=walk quietly up behind someone in order to surprise them): · She crept up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
to walk quietly so that no-one notices you, especially because you are doing something wrong and do not want to be caught: sneak in/up/around etc: · The thieves sneaked in while the guard had his back turned.· Molly snuck around the house.sneak off (=sneak away from a place): · We tried to sneak off from work early.
to walk quietly and steadily, without shoes or with soft shoes, or on a soft surface: pad along/down/in etc: · Michelle got out of bed, and padded across to the window.· The cat came padding softly across the kitchen floor, and jumped onto my lap.
WORD SETSbackwater, nounbank, nounbank, verbbare, adjectivebarrier reef, nounbay, nounbayou, nounbeach, nounbeck, nounbelt, nounbillow, nounbiting, adjectivebitter, adjectiveblack ice, nounblast, nounblazing, adjectivebleach, verbblizzard, nounblow, verbblowy, adjectivebluff, nounbluster, verbblustery, adjectivebog, nounboiling, adjectiveboulder, nounbracing, adjectivebreaker, nounbreeze, nounbreezy, adjectivebrook, nounbrush, nounbrushwood, nounburn, nounbutte, nouncanyon, nouncascade, nouncataract, nouncave, nouncavern, nounchange, verbchasm, nounchoppy, adjectiveclap, nounclear, verbclement, adjectivecliff, nouncloud, nouncloudburst, nouncloudy, adjectivecoast, nouncoastal, adjectivecoastline, nouncone, nouncopse, nouncountry, nouncranny, nouncrater, nouncreation, nouncreep, verbcrisp, adjectivecrosswind, nouncumulus, nouncyclone, noundale, noundell, noundense, adjectivedew, noundewdrop, noundewfall, noundewy, adjectivedisgorge, verbdog days, noundownpour, noundownriver, adverbdownstream, adverbdownwind, adverbdrift, verbdrift, noundriftwood, noundrizzle, noundrop, verbdrop, noundrought, noundry, adjectivedry land, noundull, adjectivedune, nounduster, noundust storm, nouneast, adjectiveeddy, nounelectrical storm, nounequable, adjectiveeye, nounface, nounfail, verbfair, adjectivefall, nounfell, nounfen, nounfield, nounfierce, adjectivefiord, nounfirth, nounfjord, nounflood, verbflood, nounflood tide, nounflotsam, nounflow, nounflow, verbflower, nounflurry, nounfog, nounfogbound, adjectivefoggy, adjectivefoothill, nounfoothold, nounford, nounforeshore, nounforest, nounfoul, adjectivefreak, adjectivefreeze, nounfresh, adjectivefreshen, verbfreshwater, adjectivefrost, nounfury, noungale, noungale force, adjectivegap, noungentle, adjectivegeyser, nounglacial, adjectiveglen, noungnarled, adjectivegrassy, adjectivegreen, adjectivegreenery, nounground, nounground level, noungulley, noungully, noungust, noungust, verbgusty, adjectivehail, nounhailstone, nounhailstorm, nounhaze, nounheadwind, nounheath, nounheather, nounheat wave, nounhigh tide, nounhigh water, nounhill, nounhillock, nounhillside, nounhill station, nounhilly, adjectivehoarfrost, nounhot spring, nounhummock, nounhurricane, nounice, nouniceberg, nounice cap, nouninclement, adjectiveincline, nounIndian summer, nouninland, adjectiveinland, adverbinlet, nouninshore, adverbisland, nounisle, nounislet, nounjetsam, nounjungle, nounknoll, nounlake, nounlakeside, adjectiveledge, nounlightning, nounlip, nounloch, nounlough, nounlow tide, nounlow water, nounmarshland, nounmeadow, nounmere, nounmild, adjectivemillpond, nounmire, nounmist, nounmisty, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmonsoon, nounmoonless, adjectivemoor, nounmoorland, nounMother Nature, nounmound, nounmountain, nounmountainous, adjectivemountainside, nounmountaintop, nounmouth, nounmudflat, nounmull, nounmurmur, verbmurmur, nounnarrows, nounnestle, verbnew moon, nounnook, nounnorth, adjectivenortheast, adjectivenortheaster, nounnortheasterly, adjectivenortherly, adjectivenorthwest, adjectivenorthwester, nounnorthwesterly, adjectivenotch, nounoasis, nounonshore, adjectiveooze, nounoutcrop, nounovercast, adjectiveozone, nounpack ice, nounpalisade, nounpanorama, nounparch, verbparched, adjectivepass, nounpatchy, adjectivepeak, nounpeal, nounpeasouper, nounpebble, nounpelt, verbpenumbra, nounperishing, adjectivepinewood, nounpinnacle, nounpitiless, adjectivepond, nounpour, verbprecipice, nounprospect, nounpuddle, nounquicksand, nounradiate, verbraging, adjectiverain, nounrainbow, nounrain drop, nounrainfall, nounrainstorm, nounrainwater, nounrainy, adjectiverange, nounrapids, nounrarefied, adjectiveravine, nounraw, adjectiverecede, verbreedy, adjectivereef, nounreservoir, nounridge, nounrift, nounrime, nounrise, verbrise, nounrock, nounrocky, adjectiveroll, verbrolling, adjectiverough, adjectiverural, adjectivescenery, nounscud, verbsea breeze, nounsea mist, nounset, verbshore, nounsky, nounslope, nounsludge, nounsnow, nounsnowbound, adjectivesnow-capped, adjectivesnowdrift, nounsnowfall, nounsnowflake, nounsnowstorm, nounsnowy, adjectivesouth, adjectivesoutheast, adjectivesoutheaster, nounsoutheasterly, adjectivesoutherly, adjectivesouthwest, adjectivesouthwesterly, adjectivespinney, nounspring, nounstream, nounsullen, adjectivesultry, adjectivesummer, nounsummit, nounsun, nounsundown, nounsun-drenched, adjectivesunrise, nounsunset, nounsunshine, nounswamp, nounsweep, verbswollen, adjectivetempestuous, adjectivethaw, verbthaw, nounthicket, nounthin, adjectivethunder, verbthunderbolt, nounthunderstorm, nounthundery, adjectivetide, nountreeless, adjectivetree-lined, adjectivetrough, nounturf, nountussock, nountwilight, nounvale, nounvalley, nounverdant, adjectivevisibility, nounvoid, nounwashout, nounwater, nounwatercourse, nounwaterfall, nounwaterside, nounwaterspout, nounwax, verbwest, adjectivewest, adverbwestbound, adjectivewesterly, adjectivewesternmost, adjectivewestward, adverbwet, adjectivewhirlpool, nounwhirlwind, nounwhite horses, nounwhitewater, nounwild, adjectivewill o' the wisp, nounwind, nounwindstorm, nounwindswept, adjectivewindy, adjectivewood, nounwooded, adjectivewoodland, nounwoodsy, adjectivewoody, adjectivezephyr, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
I’m not the kind of person to creep to anybody.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
1to move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attentioncreep into/over/around etc I’m not the kind of person to creep to anybody.· Slowly, step by step, she crept along the terrace until she stood there, looking in.· This relative of the dogwood family, whose trees are well known farther south, here creeps along just under the soil.· You creep along to an open doorway.· The school building program -.. is creeping along at a painfully slow clip.· It was very easy to imagine eyes peering from the gloom, or strange beings creeping along the path behind them.· As they crept along they could not help wondering what they would find.· Go quiet. Creep along, maybe catch kill snake for pot.· He crept along the wall, keeping in the shadows.
· I crept around to the back of the house and watched as he carried her through the kitchen and into the garage.· Bugs creep around him through the tendrils and quite near a thrush is singing.· It makes it impossible for anyone to creep around your house without making a noise.· At night, the lonesome limbs would be programmed to creep around and do housework while everyone is asleep.· The silence crept around them, as thick as the darkness.· He crept around in the huge inner yard, looking for clues.· I didn't know him very well and I despised him for being well behaved and creeping around telling stories about me.· They are tough, tensile; part of the structure of the poem rather than decorative vines creeping around it.
· A sensible person respected the sleeping beast and crept away.· I crept away into the woods after an hour and his voice followed me there.· She went there, guilty at having crept away.· All that day and the next we crept away from the northern perimeter of the storm.· Mayne and his group crept away, leaving the guards to fight it out between themselves.· She came down the hall in a red gown as I crept away from Hugh.· She wedged their magazines between old paint tins and imperfectly washed milk bottles and towers of flowerpots, and crept away.· He hadn't said a tithe of the prayers he knew when the sunlight crept away toward the church.
· Totally mystified by his experience, he crept back to the booking hall and tried to sleep.· When the shouting subsided, I crept back to the door.· Pottz wiped out three waves in a row and crept back in with his tail between his legs.· But the capital gains differential began creeping back in with tax changes promoted by both George Bush and Bill Clinton.· But costly turnovers allowed Washington to creep back into the game, despite the dominance of the Cowboys defence.· He was allowed to creep back into power for want of a credible alternative.· She'd come creeping back again, complaining about Dad's crumpled collars and his scuffed shoes, sprucing him up.· Do werewolves feel this sense of safety as they creep back just at dawn into some borrowed body?
· Harriet Shakespeare and the policemen had begun to creep closer, ready to run as soon as the first shot was fired.· We crept closer, and watched her push her defiant hair away from her forehead with the back of her hand.· Elizabeth crept closer to snap a close-range shot of her friend's sand-flecked face.· Hidell creeps closer to the East.· He could hear beating noises as he crept closer, transferring the bomb from one sweating hand to the other.· He read the letter over and over again, and with each re-reading the possibility of belief crept closer.
· Jenna crept down the stairs, pulling her dressing-gown closely round her, stumbling across the room to the door.· A woman crept down her front steps in a pink bathrobe, her hand holding on to the rail beside the steps.· What was the alternative, though? Creep down, armed with a poker, and confront the intruder?· I pulled on a sweater and trousers and crept down the stairs in bare feet.· We crept down into the hall, through the kitchen and out by a small postern door.· I put my clothes on, and crept down the stairs.· Then she opened the bedroom door and crept down through the dark, silent house.· The stench, and the prospect of all those stairs to be crept down, made her faint.
· Their twelve-year-old son had crept downstairs and listened at the door.· Late in the night I got up and crept downstairs.· At half-past six and still dark they crept downstairs and out into the street.· He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise.· As I crept downstairs, I could hear Mr Rochester in his room, walking up and down and sighing.· As the afternoon drew to a close, Mildred crept downstairs and out into the darkening yard.· I creep downstairs and roam pointlessly around.· She crept downstairs, through the kitchen and out into the little back garden.
· Then the light had crept forward, down the rutted track that led to nowhere but their house.· Her hand rose to her mouth and she crept forward.· When they landed Paul crept forward to peer out into the grassland from behind a tree.· Iluminada has now crept forward to the edge of the circle to offer the matches to her mistress.· It dragged its feet and whimpered, it crept forward, it flinched.· Very slowly, and keeping down below the seals' horizon, I crept forward towards the sound of singing.· Masklin lowered himself carefully to the floor and crept forward.
· The curtains were partly open, allowing the merest glimmer of moonlight to creep in.· Biases can creep in in extremely subtle ways, and researchers can, quite unconsciously, favour some groups and disfavour others.· Feelings were beginning to creep in, and that would be monumentally stupid, to actually begin to care for him.· By the following issue record reviews had crept in.· Even in so concise a document, ambiguity creeps in: everybody is to be allowed the right to self-defense.· It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language and where jargon creeps in, it is explained.· Neglect yourself and self-doubt begins to creep in and that swiftly turns to depression.
· Izzie crept out last, and pinched dead the candle flame.· In the darkness Thisbe crept out and made her way in all secrecy to the tomb.· His face shadowed by the dim light, he crept out and slipped through a door behind the bridge.· What more would creep out of the woodwork to delay things further?· One wooden jetty crept out over the water on brittle insect legs.· The wart crept out between his parted lips.· They were too tired to notice as I crept out again.· We crept out of the bushes.
· He could not resist a faint smile creeping over his face.· Then another feeling crept over me, a deep, almost atavistic longing.· Jon and I did not cheer, for a cold realisation was creeping over us.· Its price has been creeping over $ 10, but it remains a great value.· Dawn had begun to break, and daylight crept over the barren countryside.· Perhaps a few hours away from here would cure the feeling of claustrophobia that was beginning to creep over her.· She stayed in the chair as dusk crept over the garden below, too physically and mentally tired to move.· The water crept over the road.
· The time had crept round to midday. 12 Kev had seemed moody all morning, so his workmates said afterwards.· At five o'clock, with daylight creeping round the curtains, she had got up and dressed.· Henry crept round to the back, through an alley.· When I couldn't stand it any longer I dashed across the road and crept round the back.· It crept round the corners of the buildings and hung in the doorways and fled in ragged wisps from the car headlights.· Ludovico's arm crept round her waist.· In the interests of discretion, he waited until nearly twelve-thirty before creeping round to the ladies' corridor.· As a kid I used to wonder how burglars could creep round your house at night without waking you.
· He crept slowly towards the main corridors.· Gradually I descended the spruce tree and slowly crept toward the feeding birds.· If they creep slowly forward they will not hit the net with anything like the amount of impact required to entangle them.· It seemed to be slowly creeping into her groin and up ... up into her stomach.· We'd slowly creep up on them then shout abuse and kick sand all over them.· I envisaged a deadly tarantula creeping slowly into my bed, spreading its legs over me, about to bite!· Those are the moments when the cheetah can creep slowly forward.
· Rung by rung, she crept up the ladder.· I stood, instead, to watch the sun creep up by the Connecticut Capitol.· At five o'clock she returned to the theatre and crept up the stairs to the dressing-room.· They must have been creeping up on us.· She crept up all over it.· It had been creeping up on me during the last couple of days.· But once she was alone with her knitting depression crept up on Leonora like an incoming tide.· I perch on one boulder and creep up another.
NOUN· Often she crept out of her bed in the dead of night and sneaked into the new school hall to practise.· Finally, I threw back the quilt, put the package on the pillow, and crept into bed.· She crept back to bed and lay next to her husband, taking care to leave a space between their bodies.· The violent hammering continued and Jenna crept out of bed to look down into the dark courtyard.· I envisaged a deadly tarantula creeping slowly into my bed, spreading its legs over me, about to bite!
· Pause for a second or two, then creep towards the door.· When the shouting subsided, I crept back to the door.· He crept to the door and opened it, blinking at the bright light.· In the right season there would be roses creeping up around the door.· Blowing out the candle, Tilly crept to the kitchen door and gingerly opened it.· I crept to the door and, with a sudden movement, opened it wide.· Slipping into her silk bathrobe, she crept to the door and listened.· Dunn crept to the door, shot Lessing, shot the operator, smashed the valves and called it a night.
· He could not resist a faint smile creeping over his face.· As he reviewed the figures a slight smirk crept over his face.· Smith, in spite of himself, could feel a glow of pride creeping over his face.· The shadow of the earth is now creeping across the face.· Hannah nodded her head again, a faint smile creeping across her face.· A strange warmth crept up to his face.
· Later, under cover of darkness, they crept into the house, where Charles hid for the night in the attic.· With the young animal wrapped in her cardigan, Jenny crept through the house and into the kitchen.· It makes it impossible for anyone to creep around your house without making a noise.· Or had he crept out of the house and left her shut in here?· Surely women know by now not to go creeping into scary houses by themselves after dark.· As a kid I used to wonder how burglars could creep round your house at night without waking you.· She crept out of her house, and made her way to the festa.
· The damp was creeping into the living room.· After a moment, she crept out of her room and looked round the corner of the landing, down the stairs.· In the end I crept back up to my room.· In the night she crept up to Angel's room and pushed the letter under his door.· Then I crept out of the room.· She crept into Chrissy's room, shutting the door silently behind her.· As soon as it was light, I crept out of the room and went downstairs for a coffee at a nearby café.· I creep back to my room, leaving both our doors ajar.
· Jenna crept down the stairs, pulling her dressing-gown closely round her, stumbling across the room to the door.· I gave him another five, then crept up the stairs and peered into his room.· At five o'clock she returned to the theatre and crept up the stairs to the dressing-room.· I crept down the stairs, following the sound of voices.· I pulled on a sweater and trousers and crept down the stairs in bare feet.· I put my clothes on, and crept down the stairs.· But it wasn't duty that took her from her bed creeping down the stairs.· So she beckoned to Baptiste and he crept up the stairs after her, his shoes in his hand.
· A flat, tense quality crept into her voice.· The anguish crept into his voice.
VERB· Surely she was still as determined as ever not to allow anyone to creep through her defences and make her care?· He was allowed to creep back into power for want of a credible alternative.· The tale took some ten minutes to tell, Sandison being careful to allow no inconsistencies to creep in.· He forced it close enough to the edge to allow the Toyota to creep past on the inside.
· Harriet Shakespeare and the policemen had begun to creep closer, ready to run as soon as the first shot was fired.· But the capital gains differential began creeping back in with tax changes promoted by both George Bush and Bill Clinton.· Neglect yourself and self-doubt begins to creep in and that swiftly turns to depression.· At 47, Diane Wasenius is not taking chances with her blood-sugar levels, which began creeping up over the past year.· And now, quite slowly, there began to creep over Matilda a most extraordinary and peculiar feeling.· So I begin creeping down the chute.· Drugs and alcohol began to creep in.· The vehicle began to creep cautiously down a ramp of hard-packed rock, into the interior of the crater.
· Alice felt a blush creeping over her body.· Then another feeling crept over me, a deep, almost atavistic longing.· Already he could feel depression and worry creeping over him like a periodic fever.· One of them was Moon-Watcher; once again he felt inquisitive tendrils creeping down the unused byways of his brain.· The muscles of his arms and chest were rippling as he moved and she felt a hot flush creeping over her body.· Just as he felt a certain warmth in his spirit, he felt the creeping cold in his feet.· I felt a terrible anxiety creeping over me.· I could feel soldiers creeping towards us.
· It passed this information on in a terrible hushed whine that seemed to creep in and fill the head.· They seem to creep up on us gradually for reasons that medical science is only now beginning to understand.· More worrying, the long-finned gene seems to be creeping into broods where it's not wanted.· It seemed to be slowly creeping into her groin and up ... up into her stomach.· Often ideas just seem to creep up on you.
Johann would creep into the gallery to listen to the singers. He crept back up the stairs, trying to avoid the ones that creaked.► see thesaurus at walk2if something such as an insect, small animal, or car creeps, it moves slowly and quietlycreep down/along/away etc a caterpillar creeping down my arm3to gradually enter something and change itcreep in/into/over etc Funny how religion is creeping into the environmental debate.4if a plant creeps, it grows or climbs up or along a particular placecreep up/over/around etc ivy creeping up the walls of the building5if mist, clouds etc creep, they gradually fill or cover a placecreep 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 yourselfcreep (up) to somebody I’m not the kind of person to creep to anybody.7somebody/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 somebody out phrasal verb informal to make someone feel nervous, uncomfortable, and slightly frightened: He's always staring at me - it creeps me out!creep up on somebody/something phrasal verb1to surprise someone by walking up behind them silently: Don’t yell – let’s creep up on them and scare them.2if 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.3to seem to come sooner than you expect: Somehow, the end of term had crept up on us.creep1 verbcreep2 noun
creepcreep2 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.3give 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.4mission/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.