cling
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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clings,
present (3rd person singular)
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clung,
past participle, past
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clinging
present participle
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to adhere closely; stick to.
The wet paper clings to the glass.
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to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave.
The children clung to each other in the dark.
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to be or remain close.
The child clung to her mother's side.
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to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc..
Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.
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to cohere.
noun
noun
verb
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(often foll by to) to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking
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(foll by together) to remain in contact (with each other)
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to be or remain physically or emotionally close
to cling to outmoded beliefs
noun
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agriculture the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other
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obsolete agriculture diarrhoea or scouring in animals
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short for clingstone
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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clingernoun
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clinginessnoun
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clingingnessnoun
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clingingadjective
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clingyadjective
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unclingingadjective
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clinginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clingsimple
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clingssimple
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have clungperfect
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has clungperfect
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am clingingprogressive
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are clingingprogressive
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is clingingprogressive
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have been clingingperfect progressive
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has been clingingperfect progressive
Past
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clungsimple
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had clungperfect
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was clingingprogressive
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were clingingprogressive
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had been clingingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cling
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" Speech
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Ship Breaker
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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.
See Examples For:
The roar of engines fills the night air in China's Chongqing city as tourists awkwardly clamber onto gleaming motorbikes and cling to muscular drivers to star in personalised videos.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
She swam back towards the car and tried to cling onto to it, but strong waves pushed her against a sewer pipe.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
It is supplying the constitutional context and stripping away the pretense courts so often cling to when they want to stay out of the fray.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Great universities don’t cling to old decisions simply because they were once the right ones,” Palazoglu said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
You’ve got to grab hold of it and cling to it with all your might, no matter how cray cray it might seem.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
He gamely wears striped socks and short shorts; she sports Gloria Vanderbilt jeans and clings to her character’s emotional truth like it’s a bucking pterodactyl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The cheese clings to the warm crackers, the pepper blooms in the fat and the whole thing eats like the bar snack version of cacio e pepe.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Natasha eventually took Shalom home but still clings to her faith that God will help her find a cure.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
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 ● Mar. 9, 2026
A hyena clings to his back, its eyes spinning in terror.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
"I managed to find a wooden plank, which I clung to for two days and one night," Begum said, noting she eventually caught the attention of a passing rescue ship.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Fox finished fifth, kept his card and clung on to a path that brought wins on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and now the Open Championship.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Tuchel kept experimenting on the fly and the Three Lions clung on until extra time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“This woman clung to her baby, and said, ‘I just had this baby.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Fred jumped and clung to the end with his claws.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Rahela Begum survived the horrors of war in Myanmar and life in the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh -- only to end up drifting at sea, clinging to a wooden plank.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Still, by focusing narrowly on the theatrical release market, the AGs and judge are like Norma Desmond clinging to a bygone era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
They say they used to listen to songs in secret, often not knowing who they were listening to, but clinging to the mysterious and hopeful lyrics.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
In a game the Dodgers would go on to win 8-6 over the Pirates, they were clinging to a two-run lead in the top of the seventh inning against the Pirates on Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Anya managed to grab onto Ivan’s sleeves, clinging to him as they crossed the room and sat in empty spots near a far window.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
