creepy-crawlyadj.
That creeps and crawls. Also transferred and figurative, sneaking, servile; (of feelings, etc.) full of eerie or uncanny suggestion; of or pertaining to creeping or crawling insects. Also as n. (chiefly plural), such an insect, animal, etc.; a creepy-crawly feeling.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by locomotion > [noun] > that creeps
wormc893
reptilea1393
serpentc1440
creeper1577
crawler1649
creepy-crawly1858
the world > movement > rate of motion > slowness > [adjective] > moving slowly
slowa1398
slow-movingc1450
slow-bellied1554
lazya1568
slow-footed1587
slow-paced1594
leaden-footed1596
snaily1596
snail-paced1597
dragglinga1599
leaden-heeled1598
ambling1600
slow-foot1607
sluggisha1616
slow-pacing1616
tortoise-paced1623
slow-going1634
leaden-stepping1645
tardigradous1652
tardigrade1656
snail-crawleda1658
dawdling1773
loitering1791–2
slow-stepping1793
creepy1794
lugging1816
tortoise-footed1818
crawling1820
creepy-crawly1858
slowing1877
lead-foot1896
soodling1951
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [adjective]
fikingc1230
papelarda1500
gnathonical1540
clawing1574
pickthank1575
slavering1575
claw-back1577
courting1580
fawning1585
adulatory1587
insinuating1592
insinuative1592
scraping1599
adulatorious1612
men-pleasing1615
pickthanking1621
sycophantical1632
gnathonic1637
insinuanta1639
sycophantizing1640
ingratiating1642
led1672
sycophanting1674
sycophantly1680
sycophanta1684
sycophantica1698
pickthankly1702
assiduous1725
foot-licking1786
tuft-hunting1789
sycophantish1821
favour-currying1831
bootlicking1849
toadying1863
creepy-crawly1890
slauming1904
toadyish1909
ass-licking1940
ass-kissing1942
brown-nosing1946
arse-licking1950
sucky1991
the world > physical sensation > touch and feeling > sensation of something creeping on skin > [adjective]
creeping1814
creepy1831
crawly1860
creepy-crawlya1893
the mind > emotion > fear > physical symptoms of fear > [adjective] > shuddering with fear > having sensation of shiver
creeping1814
creepy1831
crawly1860
creepy-crawlya1893
the mind > emotion > fear > quality of inspiring fear > quality of being eerie > [adjective]
unked1574
iry1603
wanchancy1768
eerie1792
eerisome1818
pokerish1825
unco1828
oorie1843
spooky1854
creepy-crawly1902
1858 C. M. Yonge Christmas Mummers iv. 37 The pink scarf came back in his mind, as clear..as if the silver creepey-crawleys and long-barbed flowers had all arranged themselves into the letters thief.
1861 J. Pycroft Agony Point (1862) ix. 99 Ride and drive! yes,—creepy crawly! creepy crawly!
1890 F. W. Robinson Very Strange Family 85 ‘You and that creepy-crawley lawyer.’
1891 ‘L. Malet’ Wages of Sin vii. iii I'm ever so hungry, and there's cold creepy-crawlies running up my legs.
a1893 Mod. A creepy-crawly feeling came over me.
1902 Daily Chron. 5 Dec. 4/5 The creepy-crawly atmosphere of ‘Wuthering Heights’.
1907 Daily Chron. 1 Apr. 4/4 His way is mostly the creepy-crawly way... There's nothing heroic, or splendid, or even dignified, about his methods.
1909 G. B. Shaw Let. 14 Apr. (1956) 152 We..are back again in Algeria, but under creepy-crawly circumstances... We are in a frightful place.
1923 D. H. Lawrence Kangaroo vi. 133 She had puppies—four darling queer little things—tiny little creepy-crawlies.
1960 Woman 5 Mar. 29/2 Mice, spiders, moths and other creepy-crawlies.
1965 W. H. Auden About House (1966) 24 The lair, maybe, Of creepy-crawlies or a ghost.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.1858