crawling
4 synonyms and 0 antonyms for crawling, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The action or motion of moving on hands and knees, or moving very slowly.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Frequently asked questions
What does “crawling” mean?
The word “crawling” means the action or motion of moving on hands and knees, or moving very slowly. In plain terms, the act of crawling, as a noun — moving slowly along the ground.
How do you pronounce “crawling”?
“Crawling” is pronounced KRAW-lihng (/ˈkɹɔːlɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “crawling” in a sentence?
Here is “crawling” used in a sentence: “The crawling of the injured hiker took hours to cover just a mile.”
What part of speech is “crawling”?
“Crawling” is a noun.
Is “crawling” a common word?
“Crawling” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between crawling and creeping?
Crawling specifically describes moving on hands and knees or moving very slowly along a surface, while creeping more broadly describes any slow, quiet, or gradual movement, often with a stealthy quality. Traffic, for instance, is usually described as crawling when it moves at a near-standstill pace.
Why do people say traffic is crawling?
Traffic is described as crawling because the term captures very slow, halting movement similar to the pace of crawling on hands and knees. It is a common figurative extension of the physical sense of the word.
Is crawling only used for babies and animals?
No, while crawling commonly describes babies or animals moving on hands and knees, it is also used figuratively for anything moving very slowly, such as traffic, time, or a slow-moving process. The core meaning of slow, laborious movement carries over into these figurative uses.