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# creaky

adjective (creaky, creakier, creakiest)

«creaky» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Making a long, high, squeaking sound when moved or stepped on: «a creaky door», «creaky stairs». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#m1)
2. Old and not working as well as before: «creaky knees», «a creaky old computer». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#m2)
3. (of plans or systems) Weak, out of date or not well put together: «a creaky plan». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories, especially spooky ones, creaky doors, floorboards and stairs build suspense. In everyday life, older people joke about their creaky joints. In science, creaking is a sound made by friction between wood or metal parts; oil reduces it. Phrases: «creaky floorboards», «creaky door», «creaky joints», «creaky old».

### Examples

- The creaky stairs gave us away when we sneaked down at night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x1)
- The old house was full of creaky floorboards. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x2)
- Grandad says his knees are getting creaky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x3)
- Dad oiled the creaky gate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x4)
- We heard a creaky door open in the dark. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x5)
- Our creaky old laptop takes ages to start. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x6)
- The plan was a bit creaky, but it worked. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/#x7)

### Note

Comparative: creakier, creakiest. The verb and noun «creak» (the sound) is a homophone of «creek» (a small stream; in the US and Australia, any small river). Similar: squeaky. The word copies the sound.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «creaky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/creaky/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«creaky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/creaky.html) on Mova free.