cling

1
[ kling ]
See synonyms for: clingclingingclung on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),clung [kluhng], /klʌŋ/, cling·ing.
  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.

  1. to be or remain close: The child clung to her mother's side.

  2. to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc.: Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.

  3. to cohere.

noun
  1. the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.

Origin of cling

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English clingen, Old English clingan “to stick together, shrink, wither”; akin to clench

Other words for cling

Other words from cling

  • clinger, noun
  • cling·ing·ly, adverb
  • cling·ing·ness, noun
  • un·cling·ing, adjective

Other definitions for cling (2 of 2)

cling2
[ kling ]

noun

Origin of cling

2
1835–45; by shortening from clingstone, or special use of cling1 (noun)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cling

cling

/ (klɪŋ) /


verbclings, clinging or clung (intr)
  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)

  1. to be or remain physically or emotionally close: to cling to outmoded beliefs

noun
  1. agriculture, mainly US the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other

  2. agriculture obsolete diarrhoea or scouring in animals

  1. short for clingstone

Origin of cling

1
Old English clingan; related to clench

Derived forms of cling

  • clinging, adjective
  • clinger, noun
  • clingingly, adverb
  • clingy, adjective
  • clinginess or clingingness, noun

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