What does Creepypasta mean?
Internet horror stories
Detailed Explanation
'Creepypasta' is a genre of online horror fiction. The name is a portmanteau of 'creepy' and 'copypasta' (blocks of text copied and pasted across the internet). These are user-generated scary stories or urban legends that are shared on forums and social media, often presented as true accounts to make them more unsettling. Famous examples include Slender Man, Jeff the Killer, and The Russian Sleep Experiment.
Usage Examples
“I was up all night reading creepypastas and now I'm too scared to sleep.”
“The Slender Man character originated from a creepypasta.”
“Are there any good new creepypastas, or is it all old stuff?”
Origin & History
The concept originated on the 4chan imageboard in the mid-2000s. Users would share unsettling stories, and the most effective ones would be copied and pasted across the internet, evolving as they went. This created a new, collaborative form of digital folklore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are creepypastas real?
No, they are works of fiction. The most effective creepypastas are written in a way that makes them feel plausible, blurring the line between reality and story, which is what makes them so creepy.