creeps

[ kreeps ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. Veterinary Pathology. a disease of the bones in sheep and cattle that causes pain in walking, resulting from a deficiency of phosphorus in the diet.

creeps

/ kriːps /

plural noun

1. the creeps informal.
   a feeling of fear, repulsion, disgust, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of creeps¹

So called from the effect on the animal's gait; creep, -s ³

Example Sentences

But the front line creeps ever closer, with Russia also threatening to encircle defenders from the north and west.

From BBC

Emotion creeps into Gascón’s voice when he talks about what might happen if he loses.

From Los Angeles Times

“Once one neighborhood is surrounded by warehouses, then the investors will come, buy them out, and then it creeps up more and more and more,” Cervantes said.

From Los Angeles Times

“God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what’s best for me,” she sings, “Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see.”

From Los Angeles Times

Vance's catastrophic poll numbers, however, show there are real risks to the Trump campaign of pandering so heavily to creeps.

From Salon

Related Words

• alarm
• angst
• anxiety
• apprehension
• awe
• concern
• despair
• dismay
• doubt
• dread
• horror
• jitters
• panic
• scare
• suspicion
• terror
• unease
• uneasiness
• worry