creepily
/ˈkriː.pəl.i/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkriː.pəl.i/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkrē-pə-lē/ (ame, mw)
creepily — adverb
1. in a strange, unnatural way that makes you feel scared or uneasy
in a strange, unnatural way that makes you feel scared or uneasy
The wooden floorboards creaked creepily as Mizuki walked down the dark hallway.
creepily modifying a verb that produces an eerie sound
The old doll's eyes seemed to follow Diego creepily around the antique shop.
creepily modifying a verb of watching/movement
A thick fog crept creepily over the empty graveyard just after midnight.
The abandoned house was creepily silent, with no birds or insects making any noise.
Élise found the painting's smile creepily lifelike and refused to hang it in her bedroom.
- eerily
very close in meaning; slightly more literary
- spookily
more informal; usually about ghosts or Halloween scenes
- unsettlingly
broader; covers any kind of discomfort, not only fear
- reassuringly
describes the opposite feeling — calm and safe
文法句型
creepily + verb
creepily + adjective
用法筆記
Frequently modifies sensory verbs (creak, whisper, smile, watch) or adjectives describing an unsettling absence or resemblance (silent, lifelike, similar). Distinguish from sense 2 by topic: sense 1 covers supernatural or spooky scenes; sense 2 covers unwanted social or sexual attention.
常見錯誤
2. with behaviour that feels uncomfortable or invasive, especially involving unwant
with behaviour that feels uncomfortable or invasive, especially involving unwanted romantic or sexual attention
A stranger on the train was staring creepily at Talia for the whole journey.
creepily modifying 'staring' — the most common collocation for this sense
Maeve deleted the app after an older man started messaging her creepily about her photos.
creepily + verb of communication, signalling unwanted sexual interest
Ziad complained to the manager because a colleague kept standing creepily close to his desk.
Several customers had reviewed the bar as a place where men hit on women creepily.
Zuri felt the photographer was posing the teenage models creepily and left the shoot.
- lecherously
stronger; explicitly sexual leering
- inappropriately
broader; covers any unsuitable behaviour, not only sexual
- respectfully
describes the opposite — keeping appropriate distance and tone
文法句型
creepily + verb of looking/touching/messaging
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person; the verb is typically one of looking, touching, approaching, messaging, or commenting. Often signals a power imbalance (older person to younger, stranger to woman). Distinguish from sense 1 by context: if no human is acting on another human, it is sense 1.