Irregular verb
The verb to creep
creep → crept → crept
B2Meaning: to move slowly and quietly; to grow along something · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they creep·he/she/it creeps - Past Simple:
crept(ee → e) - Past participle:
crept - -ing form:
creeping
Conjugation of the verb to creep
Present Simple
| I | creep |
| You | creep |
| He / She / It | creeps |
| We | creep |
| You (pl.) | creep |
| They | creep |
Past Simple
| I | crept |
| You | crept |
| He / She / It | crept |
| We | crept |
| You (pl.) | crept |
| They | crept |
All the forms of the verb to creep
Present Simple
Full pagecreep / creeps
“Cats creep silently.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are creeping
“I am creeping into the room right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagecrept
“She crept into the room.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were creeping
“I was creeping into the room when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has crept
“I have already crept into the room.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad crept
“She had already crept into the room when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill creep
“I will creep into the room tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to creep
“I'm going to creep into the room this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould creep
“I would creep into the room if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to creep
1. Moving slowly and quietly
- She crept into the room.
2. Moving along the ground or a wall (insects, plants)
For a plant, creep means to grow slowly along a wall or the ground.
- The vine creeps up the wall.
A common mistake
1. Creeped ❌
Creep is irregular, like keep → kept: creep → crept → crept. She crept into the room. Only the informal expression creeped out takes -ed.
What's next?
You can conjugate to creep. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of creep?+
Crept. It works like keep → kept, sleep → slept and sweep → swept: the long ee becomes a short e.
What does creepy mean?+
Creepy (adjective) describes something strange that makes you feel a little scared or uncomfortable. A creepy house, a creepy film. You hear it a lot in horror films and scary stories.
What is a creep?+
A creep (a noun, and not a nice one) is an unpleasant person who makes other people feel uncomfortable. He's such a creep!
What does creep someone out mean?+
Creep someone out (informal) means to make someone feel scared or uncomfortable. That old doll creeps me out. In this expression, the past is regular: creeped out.
What is the difference between creep and crawl?+
Crawl means to move on your hands and knees, like a baby. Creep means to move slowly and quietly, so that nobody sees or hears you. Crawl is neutral; creep is secret.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/creep
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.