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:
Many current systems use superconducting circuits, but these are highly sensitive to electromagnetic noise and stray electrical charges - similar to the static electricity that can make hair cling to a balloon.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
They beautifully elucidate Herzog’s complex notions of loneliness, reminding us that the heart’s desire to cling to something familiar and safe can also be its undoing.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
"It's like a moving train and when you join you just have to kind of jump on and cling on."
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Yet the regime seems to think it can wait him out, and it may cling to that hope as long as there is no viable day-after plan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
As I cling tightly to the scarecrow’s legs, I look down, and I am dizzied by vertigo.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
What is clear is that Infantino is no longer coasting towards a fourth term, if he clings on that long.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The powder clings beautifully to potatoes before roasting, the dried dairy helping to encourage browning while the herbs perfume every bite.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 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
The heat and the light stretch endlessly as he clings to Celia through the pain.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Those are the values Americans clung to when 9/11 sent us reeling.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
But, crucially, Hobbs clung on - England staying as a quartet for three punishing laps after Australia had dropped to a trio.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
"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
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
The dewy drops clung like lint to his neatly pressed uniform and dripped down his neck from his closely shorn hair.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
The Yankees were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Boston’s rookie manager, Chad Tracy, made a choice that will haunt New England all winter long.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Both junk-bond ETFs ended Monday clinging to slight 2026 gains on a total return basis, partly due to the higher compensation investors get for taking more risk in junk bonds.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Researchers often found dirt and debris clinging to the animals, along with tiny parasites living on their bodies.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
Ideally they should come fresh from your garden, eaten with just enough dirt still clinging to them to imply virtue.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Here we were, clinging to the last shard and shred of summertime, while downstairs Tansy was frying up mush like it was September.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
