creaky

[ kree-kee ]

adjective

creakier, creakiest.

1. creaking or apt to creak:

   a creaky stairway.

2. run-down; dilapidated:

   a creaky shack.

3. Phonetics. (of the voice) produced by vibration of a small portion of the vocal cords while the arytenoid cartilages are held together, with little breath being released; laryngealized.

Other Word Forms

• creaki·ly adverb
• creaki·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of creaky¹

First recorded in 1825–35; creak + -y ¹

Example Sentences

In “The Great Yes,” Kentridge turns to a creaky old cargo ship smelling of rotted oranges that sailed from Marseille to Martinique in 1941 overcrowded with some 300 passengers escaping Vichy France.

From Los Angeles Times

It gets creaky and decays, eventually becoming tasty sustenance for worms.

From Los Angeles Times

My elbow barks every time I bicep curl; my SI joint is creaky from sitting all day, which makes my glutes and lower back tight.

From Los Angeles Times

Say what you will about the creaky medium of soap operas — they’re still on the air and still beloved by their devotees.

From Los Angeles Times

“So Pinewood holds a special meaning for creaky old birdwatchers like me. As a goodwill gesture, MI6 makes a senior agent available to offer technical expertise on any films that feature the Secret Intelligence Service.”

From Literature

Related Words

• battered
• broken-down
• dilapidated
• feeble
• flimsy
• frail
• infirm
• ramshackle
• rickety
• run down
• seedy
• shabby