Cling Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms cling 1 American [kling] / klɪŋ /

verb (used without object)

clung, clinging

1. to adhere closely; stick to.

   The wet paper clings to the glass.

2. to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave.

   The children clung to each other in the dark.

   Synonyms: hug, grab, clutch

3. to be or remain close.

   The child clung to her mother's side.

4. to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc..

   Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.

5. to cohere.

noun

1. the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.

cling 2 American [kling] / klɪŋ /

noun

1. a clingstone.

cling British / klɪŋ /

verb

1. (often foll by to) to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking

2. (foll by together) to remain in contact (with each other)

3. to be or remain physically or emotionally close

   to cling to outmoded beliefs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. agriculture the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other

2. obsolete agriculture diarrhoea or scouring in animals

3. short for clingstone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• clinger noun
• clinginess noun
• clinging adjective
• clingingly adverb
• clingingness noun
• clingy adjective
• unclinging adjective

Etymology

Origin of cling1

First recorded before 900; Middle English clingen, Old English clingan “to stick together, shrink, wither”; akin to clench

Origin of cling2

1835–45; by shortening from clingstone, or special use of cling 1 (noun)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This water layer is only a few molecules thick, yet it clings to the nanopore surface and prevents ions from directly interacting with it.

From Science Daily

But there is no good reason to cling to bad ideas from the Coolidge era for traditional programming.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Brittany Wicker says yes to Devonta Anderson soon after they begin dating, but when he discovers she said yes to her wedding dress before they met, he finds that scary and clingy.

From Salon

Hidden among the clouds that cling to the Cambrian mountains, Graham has brought me to a secret location, armed with a home-made rake.

From BBC

The cost of health insurance may be another factor as people cling to their jobs.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• adhere
• clasp
• fasten

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.