creeping

1 of 2

adjective

creep·​ing ˈkrē-piŋ How to pronounce creeping (audio)
Synonyms of creepingnext
: developing or advancing by slow imperceptible degrees
a period of creeping inflation

creeping

2 of 2

present participle of creep entry 1

Synonyms of creeping

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of creeping in a Sentence

Adjective at this creeping pace of progress we'll never have the float ready for the parade
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The play depends on the creeping eeriness of thinking your place of comfort has been corrupted and undercut by evil. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 The warmth of the film—shot on location in Positano, Italy—only adds to its creeping, sexy menace. — Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 The overall effect is one of decadence laced with a creeping sense of horror. — Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023 As a child, she was plagued by anxiety and the creeping sense that adults, especially her mother, were keeping secrets from the kids. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2023 Then comes the creeping sense that their conversation is screwy. — Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 For some, once the initial shock wore off, a creeping sense of inevitability set in. — Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 18 July 2022 This growing entanglement of the corporate and social, this creeping sense of being tracked by invisible eyes, demands an increasing sophistication about what is said and where. — Kara Devlin, Longreads, 20 May 2022 But beneath the know-it-all tweets, there is a creeping sense that the psychological distance between the masses of 401(k) investors and the billionaire marks may not be that far. — New York Times, 9 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of creeping was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing creeping

Rhymes for creeping

See All Rhymes for creeping

Browse Nearby Words

creepiness
creeping
creeping barrage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Creeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creeping. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All