cling
verb
\ ˈkliŋ
\
\
clung\ ˈkləŋ
\;
clinging
\;
clinging
Definition of cling
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to hold together
b
: to adhere as if glued firmly
The shirt clung to his wet shoulders.
c
: to hold or hold on tightly or tenaciously
The kitten clung to the narrow branch.
2a
: to have a strong emotional attachment or dependence
he clung to his friends for support
b
: to remain or linger as if resisting complete spreading or scattering
The odor clung to the room for hours.
cling
noun
plural clings
Definition of cling (Entry 2 of 2)
2
: clingstone
3
: a sheet of material (such as plastic or vinyl) designed to adhere to a flat surface by static electricity and often printed with an image or message
When it's time for a new look, simply peel off the clings and store them away for another day.— Lorna Hordos
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Other Words from cling
Verb
clinger
\ ˈkliŋ-ər
\
noun
\
noun
clingy
\ ˈkliŋ-ē
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for cling
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of cling in a Sentence
Verb
The children clung together under the little umbrella waiting for the storm to pass. a dozen magnets clinging to the refrigeratorNoun
for certain types of materials that plastic wrap has very little cling
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
But what really matters is whether the stinky, oily compounds the bacteria has produced will stubbornly cling to your shirt or drift away on a breeze. — Alden Wicker, Vox, "Clothing you don’t have to wash, explained," 15 July 2019 The contest at the Tamarac Community Center saw the two over-30 clubs battle it out in a see-saw affair that had Team Arauz clinging to a 24-22 halftime lead. — Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, "Team Arauz heading to playoffs with winning momentum," 11 July 2019 The Sylmar senior entered the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and none out and Los Angeles clinging to a 3-1 lead. — Eric Sondheimer, latimes.com, "City Section baseball all-stars show the right stuff in Chicago," 11 July 2019 Harrell clung to life for several days before she was pronounced dead about 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Orlando Regional Medical Center, court records show. — Jeff Weiner, orlandosentinel.com, "Driver accused in hit-and-run that killed UCF student London Harrell released from jail," 2 July 2019 Others chose to cling to the breadcrumbs of hope contained in that 'not likely' phrasing. — SI.com, "Liverpool Twitter Implodes as Jurgen Klopp Admits Signings Are 'Not Likely' on Transfer Deadline Day," 8 Aug. 2019 While most families have managed to cling to their seats, the profits from farming have steadily declined, while the cost of keeping the houses standing has soared. — Simon Usborne, Town & Country, "How Rumors of a Feud Between Kate Middleton and Rose Cholmondeley Captivated a Posh Corner of Britain," 5 Aug. 2019 That relationship, and the actors’ two performances, are about the only shreds of humanity that Kent allows the viewer to cling to during the characters’ trek through the forest. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale Delves Into a Harrowing Past," 4 Aug. 2019 With that in mind, the impulse to reward a season that felt like a long sigh in order to cling to some cultural relevancy makes an awful lot of sense. — Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, "Fans hated ‘Game of Thrones’ this season. It just earned a record number of Emmy nominations. Huh?," 16 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Starting the last week of August, Ela will also harvest freestones — peaches with pits that fall right off the fruit’s flesh — as opposed to clings, which do just what their name suggests. — Josie Sexton, The Know, "From peach foie gras to boozy slushies, 20 ways to eat peaches at Denver restaurants right now," 28 Aug. 2019 The story of a witch with some too-heavy cling-ons. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Everything Coming To Netflix In July," 20 June 2019 Several spots on the T-shirt and hat clearly reject any attempt by the ketchup and mustard mixture to cling, whereas others afford it a bit of purchase. — Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, "The Internet-demanded, partially scientific testing of Ultra-Ever Dry (in HD!)," 4 July 2018 An estimated 40,000 members of the ethnic minority cling to the belief that everything vital in the world originates from a woman, earning the region the nickname Kingdom of Daughters. — Jason Motlagh, Marie Claire, "Kingdom of Women," 18 Jan. 2018 The idea later resulted in a bridal collection of minimalist, no-frills wedding slips with a simple silhouette and carefree cling, complete with adjustable pearl-fastened straps. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Need a Wedding Dress and Pajamas? Sleeper Is the One-Stop Shop for Both," 5 Feb. 2018 Pickled mustard greens are essential, the tang offsetting the velvet cling of liquid fat. — New York Times, "At Happy Stony Noodle, a Childhood Favorite Anchors the Menu," 25 Jan. 2018 The clings are meant to be peeled off after the party and reused at the next event. — Bonnie Mccarthy, latimes.com, "Keep track of your cocktails with drink charms and markers," 16 Dec. 2017 Keith’s chill delivery begets rapid rhymes that hang among the bells and whistles and clings and clangs of the arcade’s vintage machines. — Kevin Warwick, Chicago Reader, "Hip-hop alien Kool Keith again invades Logan Arcade for his annual X-mas extravaganza," 15 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cling
cling
verb
English Language Learners Definition of cling
: to hold onto something or someone very tightly