creepy-crawly

1 of 2

noun

variants or creepy crawly or less commonly creepy crawler or creepy-crawler
plural creepy-crawlies or creepy crawlies also creepy crawlers or creepy-crawlers
informal : an organism (such as a spider, beetle, or cockroach) that typically crawls along close to or on the ground and is often considered unwanted or unpleasant
… despite … repeated, aggressive spraying of his apartment's every recess, the silverfish, centipedes and assorted creepy-crawlies that lived in them all continued to thrive and multiply.Richard Russo
Veronica wasn't afraid of the creepy crawly, she was afraid of somehow harming it.Doug MacCash
He looked as if he'd turned over a stone and found creepy-crawlies underneath.Dick Francis
… gardeners and community members are coming across a creepy crawler now more than ever thanks to the Atlantic storm season. According to Virginia Tech, storms in the Atlantic have pushed fall armyworms … north into Virginia.Jazmine Otey

creepy-crawly

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly creepy crawly
1
: of, relating to, or being a creepy-crawly
creepy-crawly spiders
Springtime means creepy-crawly season, but that doesn't mean we have to take the insect invasion lying down.Kurt Bresswein
The Piney Run Park & Nature Center also contributed creepy crawly critters to the recreation day.Thomas Goodwin Smith
2
: causing an uncomfortable or distressing sensation : giving someone the creeps (see creep entry 2 sense 2)
creepy-crawly music
… what if you're locked in the mall in the creepy-crawly dark tonight?Lauren Terry
In this neurological condition, you experience uncomfortable creepy-crawly feelings in the legs and sometimes arms …Andrew Weil

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1857, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of creepy-crawly was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near creepy-crawly

Cite this Entry

“Creepy-crawly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creepy-crawly. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!