creepy

The word “creepy” means causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease. In plain terms, unsettling or unnerving, in a way that makes your skin crawl.

“Creepy” is pronounced KREE-pee (/ˈkɹipi/ in IPA).

Here is “creepy” used in a sentence: “There was something creepy about the empty fairground at night.”

“Creepy” is an adjective.

The word “creepy” comes from Old English. From creep + the adjective suffix -y, tracing to Old English creopan, "to crawl" — the sensation of skin crawling gave rise to the modern meaning.

“Creepy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Scary describes something that causes outright fear, while creepy describes something that causes a quieter, uneasy fear or discomfort. A horror film can be scary; a stranger staring for too long is creepy.

Both describe things that unsettle us, but eerie leans toward a strange, otherworldly atmosphere — an eerie silence, an eerie glow — while creepy is more informal and is often applied to people or behavior that cause unease. Eerie rarely describes a person; creepy frequently does.

Generally, yes. Calling someone creepy says their behavior causes fear or unease, so it is a pointed criticism rather than a neutral description. It is informal and best kept out of professional contexts.

The standard comparative and superlative are creepier and creepiest, following the usual pattern for two-syllable adjectives ending in -y. "More creepy" is understood but less idiomatic.