verkriechen
hide
Sich an einen kleinen, versteckten Ort zurückziehen, oft weil man Angst hat oder allein sein möchte.
Definition & meaning
verkriechen means to crawl into something, to creep away, or, most commonly in the reflexive form sich verkriechen, to hide away or to retreat into a secluded place.
It can be used literally:
- Die Maus verkriecht sich in ihrem Loch. — “The mouse crawls into its hole.”
It is also used figuratively for withdrawing from people or society, often because of fear, shame, discomfort, or a desire to be alone:
- Er hat sich den ganzen Tag in seinem Zimmer verkrochen. — “He hid away in his room all day.”
- Sie verkriecht sich bei Problemen. — “She retreats into herself when she has problems.”
The verb often suggests hiding in a small, sheltered, or inconspicuous place. The reflexive form sich verkriechen is by far the most common.
Grammar & Word origin
- Infinitive: verkriechen
- Typical form: sich verkriechen
- Verb type: irregular strong verb
- Present tense: er verkriecht sich
- Simple past: er verkroch sich
- Past participle: sich verkrochen
- Perfect auxiliary: sein — Er ist in sein Zimmer verkrochen.
The word consists of the prefix ver- and kriechen , meaning “to crawl.” Here, ver- indicates movement away or into a different state or place. The literal idea is therefore “to crawl away or into hiding.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- sich verstecken — “to hide”; the neutral, general word for concealing oneself.
- sich verbergen — “to conceal oneself”; somewhat more formal and focused on remaining unseen.
- sich zurückziehen — “to withdraw” or “retreat”; emphasizes moving away from social contact rather than physically hiding.
- untertauchen — “to go underground” or “disappear”; often suggests deliberately becoming unreachable, sometimes temporarily.
- sich verkriechen — has a stronger image of shrinking away and hiding in a sheltered or enclosed place.
Antonyms
- hervorkommen [?](vocabuo://word hervorkommen) — “to come out” or “emerge”; the direct opposite of hiding away.
- sich zeigen — “to show oneself” or “appear publicly.”
- herauskommen — “to come out,” especially from an enclosed or hidden place.
- auftreten — “to appear” or “to make a public appearance”; contrasts with withdrawing from public view.
Common phrases & collocations
- sich in einem Loch verkriechen — to crawl into a hole / hide away
- sich in seinem Zimmer verkriechen — to hide away in one’s room
- sich vor jemandem verkriechen — to hide from someone
- sich unter der Decke verkriechen — to hide under the covers
- sich in Arbeit verkriechen — to bury oneself in work as a way of avoiding people or problems
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Examples
Die Katze verkriecht sich unter dem Bett.verb
The cat hides under the bed.
Er verkriecht sich unter das Bett, wenn er Angst hat.verb
He hides under the bed when he is scared.
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