Creeped

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kɹiːpt/

Definitions

1. To have moved in a slow and stealthy way, suggesting caution
2. To advance gradually and cautiously without being noticed ; to extend or expand slowly over an area or surface ; to feel a subtle sense of discomfort or fear building up inside
3. To proceed in a quiet, careful manner typically to avoid detection ; to increase or infiltrate gradually in a manner that is hardly noticed ; to undergo a creeping sensation of unease or anxiety

Etymology: "Creeped" is the past tense and past participle of "creep," so its history is that of the verb itself. The verb descends from Old English "crēopan," meaning to creep or crawl, which passed into Middle English as "crepen." Its deepest roots lie in a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to turn" or "to wind," a sense that hints at the slow, twisting motion of something moving close to the ground. The verb's relatives are scattered across the Germanic languages. Dutch has "kruipen," Swedish "krypa," and Icelandic "krjúpa," which, unlike the English word, can mean kneeling down or getting down on one's knees. The shared sense of low, bent movement connects these forms across the North Sea and Scandinavia.

Synonyms: crawled, slid, sneaked, tiptoed, moved

Antonyms: rushed, ran, sprinted, bounded, leaped