creep
part of speech
verb (creep, creeps, crept, creeping); noun (a creep, creeps)
meaning for a pupil
1) To creep means to move slowly and quietly so no one notices you. tree →
2) To creep means to move slowly along the ground, like an insect or a plant growing up a wall. tree →
3) Something creeps in when it slowly appears, like a mistake. tree →
4) A creep is an unpleasant person, especially one who makes others feel uneasy. tree →
5) The creeps is a feeling of fear or disgust. tree →
sense in the lessons
In stories, characters creep down dark stairs or creep up on someone. In nature, ivy and other plants creep along walls. In safety lessons, if someone gives you the creeps, tell a trusted adult. Phrases: creep up on, creep in, give someone the creeps, creepy-crawly.
examples
- The cat crept towards the bird. tree →
- We crept downstairs so we wouldn't wake the baby. tree →
- Ivy crept up the old wall. tree →
- A spider crept across the floor. tree →
- Mistakes can creep into your work if you rush. tree →
- That dark house gives me the creeps. tree →
- He crept up behind me and said boo! tree →
- Long shadows came creeping over the ground. tree →
note
Irregular verb: creep, crept, crept (not creeped). Adjective: creepy. A creepy-crawly is a small insect or spider. Trust your feelings: if a person seems creepy, move away and tell a grown-up.
In the corpora
- You watch a snow leopard creep across a cliff for three thrilling minutes.
- Mole ran off, crept back along a ditch and peeped through the hedge.
- The Cave grows so still that a little mouse creeps out.
- Eyes are especially good at noticing movement, so hunters creep slowly and prey animals often freeze.
- She crept downstairs, said sorry and that she loved her, and Mum said «I know.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «creep» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.