Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense creaks, present participle creaking, past tense, past participle creaked
verb
If something creaks, it makes a short, high-pitched sound when it moves.
The bed-springs creaked. [VERB]
The steps creaked beneath his feet. [VERB]
The door creaked open. [VERB adjective]
...the creaking stairs. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: squeak, grind, scrape, groan More Synonyms of creak
Creak is also a noun.
The door was pulled open with a creak.
creak in British English
(kriːk)
verb
1.
to make or cause to make a harsh squeaking sound
2. (intransitive)
to make such sounds while moving
the old car creaked along
noun
3.
a harsh squeaking sound
Derived forms
creaky (ˈcreaky)
adjective
creakily (ˈcreakily)
adverb
creakiness (ˈcreakiness)
noun
creakingly (ˈcreakingly)
adverb
Word origin
C14: variant of croak, of imitative origin
creak in American English
(krik)
verb intransitive
1.
to make a harsh, shrill, grating, or squeaking sound, as rusted hinges do
2.
to move slowly with or as with such a sound
noun
3.
such a sound
Word origin
ME creken, to make a sound like geese, crows, etc.; echoic var. of croken: see croak
Examples of 'creak' in a sentence
creak
He became aware of a creaking sound.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And why adopt a format that is already beginning to creak with age?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There are creaking floorboards and views across the quad.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We are already seeing the signs of the system creaking at the seams.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The doors now creak at low speeds over bumpy roads.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
And this comes on top of a system already creaking.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The display has a domestic character and the floorboards creak slightly.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Now the capital has eight million inhabitants and the sewers are creaking at the seams.
The Sun (2013)
In parts of the country the system is creaking at the seams.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Officials said that it would improve efficiency and transparency as well as easing the burden on an already creaking legal system.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The lifeboat is already creaking at the seams and likely to have to mount many more rescues as company failures rise.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The old knees were creaking a bit come Tuesday morning.
The Sun (2013)
At length, we return inside and he bars the creaking door before retiring to his sanctum.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The floorboards creak in all the right places, too.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The social care system was already creaking, it is now in danger of collapsing altogether.
The Sun (2013)
We heard the floorboards creaking in our room and my husband ran upstairs and caught his dad with his hand in my underwear drawer.
The Sun (2014)
That creaking sound you hear?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
My heart thumped as I suddenly heard the outside screen door slowly creak open.
Christianity Today (2000)
We'd lie awake at night, listening to the sound of the creaking bed frame straining underneath us.
The Sun (2016)
You'll see manuscript letters, her writing table and the creaking door that leads to the room where she wrote.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
If this sheath becomes inflamed, the tendon can no longer move within it and the wrist becomes painful, creaking like old leather when it is moved.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She merely lowered her head and trudged away, feeling eyes on the back of her head, listening to the sound of creaking wheels slowly diminish behind her.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
In other languages
creak
British English: creak VERB
If something creaks, it makes a short, high-pitched sound when it moves.
The bed-springs creaked.
American English: creak
Brazilian Portuguese: ranger
Chinese: 嘎吱作响
European Spanish: crujir
French: grincer
German: knarren
Italian: scricchiolare
Japanese: きしる
Korean: 삐걱거리다
European Portuguese: ranger
Latin American Spanish: crujir
Chinese translation of 'creak'
creak
(kriːk)
vi
[floorboard, door]嘎吱嘎吱作响(響) (gāzhīgāzhī zuòxiǎng)
n(c)
(= sound) 嘎吱嘎吱声(聲) (gāzhīgāzhī shēng)
(verb)
Definition
to make or move with a harsh squeaking sound
The bed-springs creaked.
Synonyms
squeak
In the darkness, a bat squeaked.
grind
If you grind your teeth at night, see your dentist.
scrape
The only sound is that of knives and forks scraping against china.
groan
The timbers groaned and creaked in the wind.
grate
His chair grated as he got to his feet.
screech
She was screeching at them.
squeal
Jennifer squealed with delight and hugged me.
scratch
He had blood on his nose and he had scratched his knees.
rasp
The blade rasped over his skin.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of grate
Definition
to produce a harsh rasping sound by scraping against an object or surface
His chair grated as he got to his feet.
Synonyms
scrape,
grind,
rub,
scratch,
creak,
rasp
in the sense of grind
Definition
(of two objects) to scrape together with a harsh rasping sound
If you grind your teeth at night, see your dentist.