noun / verb
creep
A person whose behavior provokes unease.
That creep keeps asking personal questions after I tell him to stop.
Etymology
Old English crēopan meant to crawl or creep. The disturbing-person sense connects with the feeling of the creeps, the uneasy sensation imagined as crawling over the skin.
More examples
- Don't be a creep—stop reading her private messages.
- His habit of watching us through the window creeps me out.
- Those repeated calls from a stranger creeped her out.
Forms
creep · creeps · crept · creeped · creeping
creepy adjective — Causing feelings of unease or fear.
Similar words
- weirdo
- Emphasizes odd behavior, which may be harmless rather than disturbing.
- sleazeball
- Emphasizes dishonest or sleazy behavior rather than unsettling conduct.