creepy

adjective

ˈkrē-pē 

creepier; creepiest

1

: producing a nervous shivery apprehension

a creepy horror story

also : eerie

2

: of, relating to, or being a creep : annoyingly unpleasant

a creepy old man

creepily

ˈkrē-pə-lē 

adverb

creepiness

ˈkrē-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• eerie
• eery
• haunting
• spookish
• spooky
• uncanny
• unearthly
• weird

Examples of creepy in a Sentence

There's something creepy about that guy.

a fascinating but creepy stage show by an offbeat magician

Recent Examples on the Web

Then there’s a positively creepy Austin Butler as chilling bad guy Feyd-Rautha. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025

In a creepy ad for the device online, Friend watches TV with its user and texts her its thoughts on the show. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025

But Brody gave both a physical and emotional performance as a Hungarian Jew who emigrates and gets caught up in the web of the American dream and a nightmare project overseen by a creepy American entrepreneur. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025

One of the great things about the first season of Yellowjackets was just how incredibly creepy and mysterious everything was. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see creep entry 1

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing creepy

• creepy crawler
• creepy-crawly

Rhymes for creepy

• sleepy
• praecipe
• principe

Kids Definition

creepy

adjective

ˈkrē-pē 

creepier; creepiest

: having or producing a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin

especially : eerie

creepily

-pə-lē 

adverb

creepiness noun