Word
creep
To move slowly, quietly, or stealthily, often close to the ground.
Meanings
To move slowly, carefully, or stealthily, often close to the ground, in an effort to avoid being seen or heard.
To happen or develop gradually and almost imperceptibly, often in an unwelcome or unexpected way.
(Informal) An unpleasant or repulsive person, especially one who behaves in an overly submissive or unsettling manner.
Definition
The word "creep" primarily means to move slowly, carefully, and quietly, often in a way that avoids attention or detection. It can describe movement close to the ground, like an animal, or a person trying not to be seen. Figuratively, it also refers to something gradually developing or spreading, often in an unwelcome or imperceptible manner.
Examples
- The security guard decided to creep around the dark building to check for intruders.
- Unnoticed, the small child began to creep towards the forbidden cookie jar.
- The ivy slowly crept its way up the ancient stone wall, covering much of its surface.
- A sense of dread crept over me as I heard the strange noise downstairs.
- Production costs have been steadily creeping upwards, impacting profit margins.
Common mistake
A common mistake is using the regular past tense 'creeped' instead of the irregular form 'crept'.
More at C1 level
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More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
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- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.