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:
I am disinclined, however, to judge too harshly those who cling to the vision of Israel as an exceptional nation — one that has stumbled, perhaps, but may yet regain its true path.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
They showed nervousness and had to cling on at the end, relying on a stroke of luck and a controversial refereeing decision to get them over the line.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Then I immediately go home and slice them in half and wrap them in cling wrap and put them in an airtight Ziploc baggie and throw them in the freezer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
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
The faint dampness and confining cling of my sleeping-bag; the sound of the snow; barely audible, Estraven’s breathing as he sleeps; darkness.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
The orangutan clings to the top of a mostly leafless tree in Indonesia's Borneo, as waves of thick smoke from the forest fires burning below waft over her.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
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
In Indonesia's Lembeh Strait at night, a tiny crab clings to a drifting jellyfish.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Seaweed clings to her skull like a lethal plant.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
As an outsider, I clung to being brainy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Those are the values Americans clung to when 9/11 sent us reeling.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Ryder clung onto Nathaniel as waves repeatedly crashed over them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 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
Fred jumped and clung to the end with his claws.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
The data showed the car had remained stationary on the rural country lane for about 90 seconds, as the cyclist was still clinging to life.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Divers worked over the past four months to extract its pottery from barnacles clinging to the rocky underwater slope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
She was found clinging to a tree in late September and tranquilised by a rescue team who administered oxygen and intravenous fluids before moving her to the rehabilitation centre.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
She shook off the kids clinging to her apron and stepped out.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
