How to say "creep" in Japanese

• 這うはうJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, intransitive verbCovers the bodily sense of creep: moving on all fours or with the body close to the ground, as a baby or an insect does. For creeping up on someone unnoticed, use 忍び寄る.
  赤ん坊あかんぼうは歩あるく前まえにはう。↗

  Babies crawl before they walk.
• 忍び寄るしのびよるCommon
  godan verb, intransitive verbThe stealthy sense of creep: to steal up on someone or something, drawing near unnoticed — a cat creeping up on prey, say. For plain crawling or moving on all fours, use 這う.
  老齢ろうれいは気きづかぬうちに我々われわれに忍び寄しのびよる。↗

  Old age creeps upon us unnoticed.

Choose 「這う」 for the physical sense of creep, moving along on all fours or with the body low to the ground, and 「忍び寄る」 for creeping up on someone, approaching stealthily so as to go unnoticed.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 這うはうto crawl
• 忍び寄るしのびよるto creep
• 這いずるはいずるto creep
• クリープcreep (gradual deformation of a solid under stress)
• はって行くはっていくto creep
• クリープ現象クリープげんしょうcreep (of an automatic-transmission vehicle)