creak

Meaning

Noun

The sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound, as by the friction of hard substances.
2. (transitive) To produce a creaking sound with.
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To suffer from strain or old age.

Synonyms

squeak

crackle

grate

crunch

scratch

screech

squeal

creaking

groan

grind

chirp

screak

sound

🔉

crack

skreak

creaking sound

scroop

make a creaking sound

grit

whine

song

🎶

tinkle

weep

wheeze

whimper

creakiness

rasping sound

crind

chatter

squeakiness

clatter

clink

crackling

crepitate

crepitation

cry

😢

cry out

fall in love

gnash

jar

🫙

jingle

lament

rasp

rattle

rhonchus

rumble

rustle

scrape

shrill

Translations

grincer

knarren

craquer

cigolare

scricchiolare

chirriar

grincement

crujir

kraken

quietschen

grinyolar

rechinar

stridere

scricchiolio

knarsen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɹiːk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: creken

Inherited from Old English: cearcian

Cognate with Old English: crǣccettan

Cognate with Albanian: grykë

In summary

From Middle English creken, criken, metathesis of Old English cearcian (“to chatter, creak, crash, gnash”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn (“to crash, crack, creak”), from Proto-Germanic *krakōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to make a sound, cry hoarsely”), ultimately of imitative origin.
Compare also Old English crǣccettan, crācettan (“to croak”), Albanian grykë (“throat”). More at crack.