Meaning & use
cling
Last updated
to hold on tightly to something or someone, or to stick firmly to a surface.
See it in a sentence
The toddler clung to her mother's leg at the doctor's office.
Wet clothing clung to his skin in the rain.
A note on using this word
Cling can describe both physical sticking (wet fabric clinging to skin) and emotional attachment (clinging to a memory or a person), often with a slightly negative connotation of excessive dependence.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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