Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
hold tightly:
Русский
By meaning 2
hold tightly:
(figuratively) feel strongly about:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
hold tightly:
(figuratively) feel strongly about:

Examples

93 sentences

  1. My wet clothes clung to my body.

    Мій мокрий одяг липув до тіла. — uaspeaker

    ruМоя мокрая одежда липла к телу. — Hellerick

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. The mud clung to his shoes.

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. She was clinging to her father.

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Meaning

7 senses

  1. To hold very tightly, as to not fall off.

    Seaweed clung to the anchor.

    haften, sich klammern

    льнутьlʹnutʹ, прилипа́тьprilipátʹ, цепля́тьсяcepljátʹsja

    чіпля́тисяčipljátysja, вчепи́тисяvčepýtysja, учепи́тисяučepýtysja

    hold on tightly or tenaciously

  2. (figuratively)To be fond of, to feel strongly about and dependent on.

    hängen an, sich klammern

    цепля́ться заcepljátʹsja

  3. (intransitive)To dry up or wither.

    Wood clings.

More meanings 4

  1. To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a way as to follow its contours. Used especially of fabrics and films.

  2. (transitive)To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing.

  3. (transitive)To cause to dry up or wither.

  4. To produce a high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.

Origin

From Middle English clingen, from Old English clingan (“to adhere”), from Proto-West Germa

From Middle English clingen, from Old English clingan (“to adhere”), from Proto-West Germanic *klingan, from Proto-Germanic *klinganą. Cognate with Danish klynge (“to cluster, to crowd”). Compare clump.

Imitative; compare clink, clang.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

clings, clinging, clung, clung

irregular · Lesson

Base formcling · to cling
3rd person singularclings
Present participleclinging
Past simpleclung / clinged
Past participleclung / clinged

Tenses

cling · clung · will cling · have clung

Point at a form to see it in a sentence.Tap a form to see it in a sentence.

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theycling
he, she, itclings

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave clung
he, she, ithas clung

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill cling

Past simpleLesson

all personsclung

Phrasal verbs

2 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

37 synonyms
To hold very tightly, as to not fall off:clinchC2gripB2clenchC1clutchC1grabB1graspB2holdA2seizeB1takeA1beclaspbegraspbegripbelockclasp
To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a…:stickB1adhereC2attachB1bondB1hugA2cleavecohereconglutinategluestick togetherstick with
Close in meaning
  • come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation:cleaveadherestickcohere
  • hold on tightly or tenaciously:hang

Word family

13 related words
Derivedcling peachanticlingclingercling filmclingfilmclingfishclinging vinecling onclingsomecling toclingwrapnonclinguncling

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
climberB1climeclinchC2clinicB1clinicalC1

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

cling — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto