ENGLISH
REFERENCE

creepy

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈkɹipi// UK //kɹˈiːpi// creepy Informal

adj. causing a strange, nervous feeling of fear. You use this to describe something that makes you feel like someone is watching you or that something is wrong.

adj. producing a nervous sensation of fear or unease, often associated with a perceived threat to personal safety or social boundaries. Informal in register; frequently used to describe people or environments that violate social norms in a subtle, unsettling way.


SIMPLE

The old basement feels a bit creepy at night.

CONTEXTUAL

He stopped going to that park because a creepy man kept following him and asking personal questions.

COMPLEX

The director uses long, silent shots of the empty hallways to create a creepy atmosphere that keeps the audience in a state of constant tension.

Synonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *grewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kreupaną Proto-West Germanic *kreupan Old English crēopan Middle English crepen English creep Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English creepy From creep + -y.

Usage

Gradable adjective; commonly modified by 'really', 'bit', or 'kind of'.

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