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

Both versions have the great misfortune of spending time with her father, Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) who ratchets up the creepy factor to eleven. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

Macfadyen is the perfect creepy suburban dad, gaslighting his wife into submission when not tending to his model train and town with his son in a wooden shed. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025

Puppets with movable heads and ‘creepy’ faces Three of the largest figurines were roughly a foot tall, while the other two were around 18 centimeters tall. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025

After a walk through the woods, what seems like an innocuous tick bite has grotesquely unexpected consequences in this creepy little shocker from fest alum Pete Ohs (Jethica, Overlook ‘22). —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 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