creeping

/ˈkriːpɪŋ/
adjective
  1. Moving slowly, quietly, and carefully, often to avoid being noticed.
    • The creeping fog covered the entire valley by morning.
    • We heard a creeping sound outside the tent at night.
    • The creeping cat stalked the mouse across the kitchen floor.
  2. Happening or developing gradually and often in a way that is hard to notice.
    • A creeping feeling of loneliness settled over him as he walked home.
    • The creeping inflation has made everyday goods more expensive.
    • There is a creeping sense of worry about the company's future.
Antonyms
noun
  1. The act of moving slowly and quietly, especially to avoid detection.
    • The creeping of the soldiers through the forest took hours.
    • His creeping down the hallway woke no one.
    • The cat's creeping toward the bird was silent and patient.