Pronunciation: /kriːp ɪn/

Definitions of creep in

noun a person who behaves in a secretive or cowardly manner

Example Sentences

A1 I felt a creep in the dark alley.

A2 The creep in the horror movie scared me.

B1 There was a creep in the bushes outside my window.

B2 The creep in the old abandoned house gave me chills.

C1 The slow creep in of technology has changed our daily lives.

C2 The gradual creep in of corruption within the government is concerning.

verb to move slowly and stealthily in a particular direction

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a small bug creep in through the window.

A2 The feeling of unease started to creep in as the night grew darker.

B1 She tried to creep in quietly so as not to wake up her sleeping roommate.

B2 The doubts about his decision began to creep in as he analyzed the situation further.

C1 The fear of failure started to creep in as the deadline for the project approached.

C2 Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the feeling of regret from creeping in.

adverb in a stealthy or secretive manner

Example Sentences

A1 The cat tried to creep in through the open window.

A2 I could feel the cold air starting to creep in through the cracks in the door.

B1 As the night went on, a feeling of unease began to creep in.

B2 I noticed a sense of doubt starting to creep in as I read through the complicated instructions.

C1 Despite his best efforts to stay positive, a sense of dread continued to creep in.

C2 The feeling of nostalgia began to creep in as I walked through the familiar streets of my hometown.

Examples of creep in in a Sentence

formal The feeling of unease began to creep in as the deadline approached.

informal I could sense a bit of doubt starting to creep in as we got closer to the presentation.

slang I don't know why, but the thought of failure just started to creep in out of nowhere.

figurative As the sun set, a sense of melancholy seemed to creep in, casting a shadow over the evening.

Grammatical Forms of creep in

past tense

crept

plural

creep in

comparative

more creep in

superlative

most creep in

present tense

creep in

future tense

will creep in

perfect tense

have crept in

continuous tense

is creeping in

singular

creep in

positive degree

creep in

infinitive

to creep in

gerund

creeping in

participle

creeping in

Origin and Evolution of creep in

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English and Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'creep in' originated from Old English and Middle English, where 'creep' meant to move slowly or stealthily, and 'in' referred to entering or infiltrating.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'creep in' has evolved to also convey the idea of something gradually gaining influence or becoming established in a subtle or unnoticed way.