Is it creeped or crept?
If you’re trying to say that you’re creeped out by something, use creeped. Otherwise, both creeped and crept are accepted past tenses of the verb creep [i.e., a verb that describes when we “move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed.”]
I crept down the stairs. (Correct past tense of creep)
She has crept into my heart. (Correct past participle of creep)
He creeped me out. (Incorrect usage of creeped for movement)
They have creeped around all night. (Incorrect past participle for movement)
Verb forms of creep
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I creep | I crept (or creeped) | I will creep |
| continuous | I am creeping | I was creeping | I will be creeping |
| perfect | I have crept (or creeped) | I had crept (or creeped) | I will have crept (or creeped) |
| perfect continuous | I have been creeping | I had been creeping | I will have been creeping |
Creep, creeped and crept, used in sentences
| Examples: forms of “creep”, used in sentences |
|---|
| I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents.
I heard someone creeping around the house. I could hear someone creeping around downstairs. He crept forward towards the sound of voices. She crept into her sister’s room. |
“creep’s” past tense, associate “crept” with stealthy movement; use “creeped” only when describing the feeling of being creeped out.
Worksheet: tenses of creep
| Questions | Answer options: |
|---|---|
| 1. True or false: “Creep” is a regular verb. | a. true b. falsec. both |
| 2. True or false: Creep looks the same in the past tense as it does in the present. | a. true b. false |
| 3. Choose the correct tense: We crept up and peeked over the wall. | a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect |
| 4. Which tense is this sentence in: I’ve been creeping her blog and found some great recipes. | a. present continuous b. past continuous c. present perfect continuous |
| 5. The sentence is in which tense: Time just seems to creep along on these hot summer days. | a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect |
| 6. Choose the form of ‘creep’ to complete the sentence: He spends a lot of time ___ on her Facebook profile. | a. creep b. creeps c. crept d. creeping |
Answers
- c
- b
- b
- c
- a
- d
Creep [synonyms & word forms]
- glide
- inch
- lurk
- slink
- slither
- snake
- sneak
- tiptoe
- wriggle
The origin of creep
From etymonline on creep (v.):
Old English creopan “to move the body near or along the ground as a reptile or insect does” (class II strong verb; past tense creap, past participle cropen), from Proto-Germanic *kreupanan.
Learn more about verbs
| Commonly misused words | UK English vs. US English |
|---|---|
| former vs. latter | burned or burnt? |
| bear with vs. bare with | color or colour? |
| breathe or breath | favorite vs. favourite |
| compliment vs. complement | smelled or smelt? |
| effect vs. affect | gray or grey? |
| elude or allude | favor vs. favour |
| it’s or its | analyze or analyse? |
Work Sheet
According to the blog post, which past tense form of ‘creep’ is generally preferred for describing stealthy movement?
Which form of ‘creep’ is exclusively used when describing the feeling of being scared or unsettled by something?
Which sentence correctly uses the past participle of ‘creep’ for movement?
Based on the examples in the post, in the sentence “I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents,” what is ‘crept’ describing?
Although ‘creeped’ is accepted, the historical past tense and preferred form ‘crept’ suggests that ‘creep’ can be considered what type of verb?
The cat silently towards the mouse.
Hearing the strange noise, she started nervously down the hallway.
His strange behavior really me out.
Time just seems to along on these hot summer days.
The spy had past the guards without being noticed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the past tense of creep?
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When do I use creeped?
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When do I use crept?
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Is creeped correct for movement?
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Is creep a regular verb?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Creep?." Grammarflex, Jun 2, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-for-creep/.
Sources
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Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of creep.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/creep. Accessed 26 March, 2024.
