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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

cling clings clung clinging

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

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

These principles obliged Bundists to cling, defiantly and then desperately, to limited peoplehood as a minority among hostile neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Papa wears a tan suit, and they cling together arm in arm, their mouths wide with laughter.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Washed up on a rock in the Atlantic after a naval disaster, Christopher Martin clings to life with ferocious tenacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The fungus clings onto the moss stem, ballooning like candy floss around a stick.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

It forgoes the sticky glaze in favor of a deep brown gravy that pools and clings.

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 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

But Hel’s mask clings to her like a silvery second skin, and I can see the slight furrow in her brow as she looks down at me.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Damon, Bernthal and up to 25 others crammed into the dank vessel and clung to its cross beams as cold water pumped in and the silo rocked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Having grown increasingly frustrated during the second set, Paolini composed herself for third and held serve easily, while Eala clung on.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

The Dodgers catcher had previously clung to hope that the two, who had been reported missing, would be found.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

“This woman clung to her baby, and said, ‘I just had this baby.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

Clara’s words still clung stubbornly to him as he asked, “What do you mean, was it worth it?”

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

He’s made the mistake of coming home with the odor still clinging to his clothes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"Everybody that has a job is clinging to their jobs, but employers are saying 'we don't need to hire anybody right now.'"

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 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

In the case of Ali, 26, the boat was so full people could be seen clinging onto the edges, some with their legs dangling in the water.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

With Papa clinging to life, Jim also sat with his father.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• adhere
• clasp
• fasten