cling
1to adhere closely; stick to: The wet paper clings to the glass.
to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave: The children clung to each other in the dark.
to be or remain close: The child clung to her mother's side.
to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc.: Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.
to cohere.
the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.
Origin of cling
1Other 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)
a clingstone.
Origin of cling
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cling in a sentence
He is like a grandfather to us, the kind who seems like he should have died a while ago and yet stubbornly clings to life.
Dear Dick (Cheney): Advice From the Former Veep | Kelly Williams Brown | June 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBecause, no matter how groundbreaking the tech world aspires to be, it still clings to one Old World value: no adult content.
But as long as Wiegand clings to that title, he is up against a (most likely insurmountable) rhetorical challenge.
‘American Blogger’ Is So Bad, You’ll Wish It Was a Spoof | Andy Hinds | April 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Crisis still clings to the conviction that a vote for Woodrow Wilson was NOT a vote for Cole Blease or Hoke Smith.
They really do look like iron hammered iron statues—under the smooth coat of coal dust which clings to them from head to foot.
He repairs to it with eagerness, and clings to it with a tenacity that time cannot relax, nor all the agonies of death dissolve.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamIn one word, to the whole worship of God the soul that clings to His Covenant will cordially bind itself in his dread presence.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamHe clings tenaciously to his unintelligible language, and is quite certain that he is superior to the whole human race.
Spanish Life in Town and Country | L. Higgin and Eugne E. StreetWe cannot but be pleased at the family affection which, in spite of time and absence, still clings so fondly to home.
Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush | William Makepeace ThackerayHe who is determined to use reason, must drop faith; and he who clings to faith, must drop reason.
Ancient Faiths And Modern | Thomas Inman
British Dictionary definitions for cling
/ (klɪŋ) /
(often foll by to) to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking
(foll by together) to remain in contact (with each other)
to be or remain physically or emotionally close: to cling to outmoded beliefs
agriculture, mainly US the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other
agriculture obsolete diarrhoea or scouring in animals
short for clingstone
Origin of cling
1Derived forms of cling
- clinging, adjective
- clinger, noun
- clingingly, adverb
- clingy, adjective
- clinginess or clingingness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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