the creeps
plural noun
informal
: an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or fear
I get the creeps every time he walks by.
I hate snakes. They give me the creeps.
Examples of the creeps in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Video and Audio Protection The idea that some online perv could connect to your webcam and spy on you is enough to give anyone the creeps.
—
PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
Here's something that'll give you the creeps ― bed bugs are on the rise in Milwaukee.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024
The rice itself looked tasty enough—fluffy, well formed—but its oddly fleshy hue gave me the creeps.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Give your guests the creeps by riddling your wreath with spiders and cobwebs or centering it with a skull.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2023
At the 115-year-old Niles Hotel — where ancient bullet holes pock the tin ceiling by the downstairs saloon — getting the creeps is part of the appeal.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023
The subject of their dispute: Edgar Allan Poe, a horror writer whose short stories were giving Americans the creeps from coast to coast.
—Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
Basements give her the creeps; plus, a property manager told her the floor had been torn up.
—jsonline.com, 16 Nov. 2022
Give neighbors the creeps with this feline trio, which stay put with heavy-duty metal stakes.
—Larry Stansbury, Good Housekeeping, 28 Sep. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
Here's something that'll give you the creeps ― bed bugs are on the rise in Milwaukee.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024
The rice itself looked tasty enough—fluffy, well formed—but its oddly fleshy hue gave me the creeps.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Give your guests the creeps by riddling your wreath with spiders and cobwebs or centering it with a skull.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2023
At the 115-year-old Niles Hotel — where ancient bullet holes pock the tin ceiling by the downstairs saloon — getting the creeps is part of the appeal.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023
The subject of their dispute: Edgar Allan Poe, a horror writer whose short stories were giving Americans the creeps from coast to coast.
—Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
Basements give her the creeps; plus, a property manager told her the floor had been torn up.
—jsonline.com, 16 Nov. 2022
Give neighbors the creeps with this feline trio, which stay put with heavy-duty metal stakes.
—Larry Stansbury, Good Housekeeping, 28 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“The creeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20creeps. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share