creaky C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈkriki/ UK /ˈkriːki/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj making a harsh squeaking sound; stiff and decrepit The creaky old staircase announced every late-night visitor. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · making a harsh squeaking... squeakygratingricketydecrepitrustystiff ↔ Opposites smoothsilentsupple Word family Forms creakily Derived forms creakilycreakiness Related forms creak Etymology AI details From 'creak' (an imitative, onomatopoeic word for a harsh grating sound) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. creak onomatopoeic View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # creaky **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈkriki/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈkriːki/ ## Meanings 1. making a harsh squeaking sound; stiff and decrepit ## Examples - The creaky old staircase announced every late-night visitor. ## Synonyms - squeaky - grating - rickety - decrepit - rusty - stiff ## Antonyms - smooth - silent - supple ## Derived Forms - creakily - creakiness ## Related Forms - creak ## Roots and Affixes - Root: creak ## Etymology From 'creak' (an imitative, onomatopoeic word for a harsh grating sound) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. ## AI Etymology Creaky is from 'creak' (an imitative, onomatopoeic word for a harsh grating sound) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. The immediate etymological form is onomatopoeic creak. The suffix -y forms an adjective meaning characterized by the base, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adjective, it means "making a harsh squeaking sound; stiff and decrepit", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include creak; derived forms include creakily and creakiness. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown