creep

creep
(past and past participle crept krɛpt)
[no obj.]

[usu. with adverbial of direction]move slowly and carefully, especially in order to avoid being heard or noticed
蹑手蹑脚地行走；轻悄悄地移动
he crept downstairs, hardly making any noise.
他蹑手蹑脚地下楼，几乎没发出什么声响。
they were taught how to creep up on an enemy.
他们被训练如何悄悄地爬近敌人。
■(of a thing) move very slowly at an inexorably steady pace
（事物）渐渐出现；缓缓发生
the fog was creeping up from the marsh.
雾慢慢从沼泽地升起。
■(of a plant) grow along the ground or other surface by means of extending stems or branches
（植物）匍匐；蔓生
[as adj. creeping]tufts of fine leaves grow on creeping rhizomes.
蔓生植物的根茎上长出了一簇簇纤细的叶子。
■(of a plastic solid) undergo gradual deformation under stress
（塑料制品）在压力下缓慢变形；塑性变形；蠕变
(creep in/into)(of an unwanted and negative characteristic or fact) occur or develop gradually and almost imperceptibly
（不希望有的和负面的特征或事实）逐渐产生；不知不觉地发展
errors crept into his game.
他在比赛中不经意地犯了错误。
[as adj. creeping]the creeping privatization of the health service.
公共医疗卫生服务逐渐的私有化。
■(creep up)increase slowly but steadily in number or amount
（数量）缓慢而稳定地增长
interest rates have been creeping up in the past few weeks.
在过去的几星期里，利率保持了缓慢增长的势态。
■(creep to)(informal)behave towards (someone) in an obsequious way in the hope of advancement
(非正式)谄媚；奉承；讨好

noun

(informal)a detestable person
(非正式)讨厌的人；可恶的人
■a person who behaves in an obsequious way in the hope of advancement
奴颜婢膝的人；马屁精
[mass noun]slow movement, especially at a steady but almost imperceptible pace
（尤指稳定而不易察觉的）缓慢发展
an attempt to prevent this slow creep of costs.
防止成本缓慢增长的努力。
■the tendency of a car with automatic transmission to move when in gear without the accelerator being pressed
（车辆）缓慢前进
■the gradual downward movement of disintegrated rock or soil due to gravitational forces
蠕动；蠕变（崩解的岩石或土壤因地球引力而缓慢下移的运动）
stones and earth slowly slip down the slopes by soil creep.
石和土随着土壤蠕变缓缓滑下斜坡。
■the gradual deformation of a plastic solid under stress
塑性变形；（塑料的）蠕变
■gradual bulging of the floor of a mine owing to pressure on the pillars
（矿柱的压力导致的）矿井地面逐渐产生的凸起
(Brit.)an opening in a hedge or wall for an animal to pass through
(英)（动物爬穿的）墙洞
■a feeding enclosure with a long narrow entrance designed to admit only young animals
幼畜补饲栏
■[mass noun](Brit.)solid food given to young farm animals in order to wean them
(英)给幼畜断奶的固体食物

常用词组
give someone the creeps

(informal)induce a feeling of revulsion or fear in someone
(非正式)使人毛骨悚然；使人起鸡皮疙瘩

make one's flesh creep

feel disgust or revulsion and have a sensation like that of something crawling over the skin
毛骨悚然；起鸡皮疙瘩

语源

Old English crēopan 'move with the body close to the ground', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kruipen. Sense 1 of the verb dates from Middle English

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