clinging vine

noun

Informal.

1. a person who behaves in a helpless and dependent manner in relationships with others.

clinging vine

noun

1. informal,  a woman who displays excessive emotional dependence on a man

Word History and Origins

Origin of clinging vine¹

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

An overly dependent person, as in A clinging vine since her marriage, she's never made a decision on her own. Nearly always applied to a woman (or wife), this metaphor for a climbing plant today criticizes dependency rather than, as in former times, praising the vine's fruitfulness.