gruselig
creepy
Causing a feeling of eerie fear, shivers, or unease; spooky.
EXAMPLE
Der alte, verlassene Friedhof bei Nacht ist wirklich gruselig.
The old, abandoned cemetery at night is really creepy.
gruselig
creepy
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Gruselig' (creepy) belongs to a word family: the feeling itself is 'der Grusel' (creepiness/horror), and the action is 'sich gruseln' (to get creeped out). If you get creeped out by something, then you find it 'gruselig' (creepy).
EXAMPLE
Ich grusle mich immer bei Horrorfilmen.
I always get creeped out during horror films.
Sentence structure with "finden"
A very typical and natural way to use this adjective is the construction with the verb 'finden' (to find). With 'Ich finde etwas gruselig' (I find something creepy), you express your personal feeling.
EXAMPLE
Ich finde alte Puppen irgendwie gruselig.
I find old dolls kind of creepy.
Typical collocations
The adjective 'gruselig' (creepy) often describes things that have to do with darkness, the unknown, or horror. Common combinations are: eine gruselige Geschichte (a creepy story), ein gruseliger Ort (a creepy place), eine gruselige Atmosphäre (a creepy atmosphere), or ein gruseliger Clown (a creepy clown).
EXAMPLE
In dem Haus herrschte eine gruselige Stille.
There was a creepy silence in the house.
Compare with
gruselig vs unheimlich
creepy / very
Unheimlich and gruselig both describe something that causes fear or unease. Unheimlich focuses more on a mysterious, hard-to-grasp threat, while gruselig places more emphasis on shivers or a horror effect.
gruselig
Die blutige Szene in der Geschichte war gruselig.
The bloody scene in the story was creepy.
unheimlich
Das unerklärliche Flüstern im leeren Haus war unheimlich.
The unexplained whispering in the empty house was eerie.
In real life
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