cling

¹ American  

[kling] / klɪŋ /

verb (used without object)

clings, present (3rd person singular) clung, past participle, past clinging present participle

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.

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noun

1. the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.

cling ² American  

[kling] / klɪŋ /

noun

1. a clingstone.

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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

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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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• clinging
  present
• clung
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• cling
  simple
• clings
  simple
• have clung
  perfect
• has clung
  perfect
• am clinging
  progressive
• are clinging
  progressive
• is clinging
  progressive
• have been clinging
  perfect progressive
• has been clinging
  perfect progressive

Past

• clung
  simple
• had clung
  perfect
• was clinging
  progressive
• were clinging
  progressive
• had been clinging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will cling
  simple
• will have clung
  perfect
• will be clinging
  progressive
• will have been clinging
  perfect progressive

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)

Explanation

To cling is to tightly grasp something or to stick closely to something, like how wet clothes cling to the wearer. Clinging has to do with closeness. A scared child will cling to his parent, holding on tight. People in love cling to one another in embraces. When you're on a roller coaster, it's best to cling to whatever restraint you can. Similarly, things cling to each other when they're hard to separate. Clothes fresh out of the dryer often cling to each other. Strands of cooked spaghetti cling to each other. Stretchy clothing like spandex clings to the bodies of the people who wear it.

Example Sentences

Consider George Washington, whose humility and repeated decisions to relinquish power rather than cling to it, became the young republic’s most imperative precedent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

He resigned immediately, without suggesting that he should cling to office as a “caretaker” while the new government got up and running.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

The researchers compare the shape to the spiky burrs that cling stubbornly to shoes and clothing outdoors.

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

This low-hire, low-fire dynamic and lengthy job hunts have spooked many workers, who are now opting to cling to their jobs instead of making a jump.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Does the soul cling to the last vestige of humanity until there is no more?

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

• adhere
• clasp
• fasten