creep

Universal Words verb, noun verb (crept, crept prep.] 1 )of people or animals( to move slowly, quietly and carefully, because you do not want to be seen or heard: I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents. * I heard someone creeping around the house. 2 )AmE( to move with your body close to the ground; to move slowly on your hands and knees SYNCRAWL 3 to move or develop very slowly: A slight feeling of suspicion crept over me. 4 )of plants( to grow along the ground or up walls using long stems or roots seealsoCREEPER 5 ~ )to sb( )BrE, informal, disapproving( to be too friendly or helpful to sb in authority in a way that is not sincere, especially in order to get an advantage from them IDIOMS see FLESHn. PHRASALVERBS creep in / into sth to begin to happen or affect sth: As the doctors became more tired, errors began to creep into their work. creep up to gradually increase in amount, price, etc: House prices are creeping up again. creep up on sb 1 to move slowly nearer to sb, usually from behind, without being seen or heard: Don't creep up on me like that! 2 to begin to affect sb, especially before they realize it: Tiredness can easily creep up on you while you're driving. noun )informal( 1 a person that you dislike very much and find very unpleasant: He's a nasty little creep! 2 )BrE( a person who is not sincere but tries to win your approval by being nice to you: He's the sort of creep who would do that kind of thing! IDIOMS give sb the creeps )informal( to make sb feel nervous and slightly frightened, especially because sb/sth is unpleasant or strange: This old house gives me the creeps.