creepy crawly
Squirm-inducing little creature
A creepy crawly is any small creature that crawls or scuttles—insects, spiders, worms, centipedes.
The term captures the visceral unease such creatures provoke: The basement was full of creepy crawlies.
Often used by or around children.
Also spelled creepy-crawly.
The plural is creepy crawlies.
- bugCrawling creature or defect
- insectSix-legged invertebrate
- spiderWeb-spinning arachnid
- centipedeMulti-segmented, many-legged predator
- wormLimbless soil invertebrate
beetle · slithering · legs · antennae · squirming · cockroach · millipede · earwig · bug spray · larvae · maggot · scuttling · exoskeleton · pest · critter · wriggling · tickling · itchy skin