Cling

Cling is a verb with several related senses centered on attachment. Most commonly, it means to hold fast to something or to adhere to a surface. It can describe a physical action, as when a child clings to a caregiver, or when paint or tape clings to a wall. The sense can also be metaphorical, referring to persistent emotional attachment or stubborn adherence to beliefs, memories, or routines.

The verb forms are cling, clings, clung, clung; the present participle is clinging.

Usage is usually with to or onto: cling to a belief, cling to hope, cling onto a rope. The nuance can differ by context: to cling to something suggests persistence despite difficulty or reluctance, while to hold on to it can imply a more deliberate action of maintaining grip.

In everyday language, the term appears in products and materials such as cling film, a thin plastic wrap that adheres to itself and to surfaces. In biology and medicine, clinging describes how cells adhere to each other or to substrates, a fundamental process in development, wound healing, and tissue organization.

Etymology traces cling to Old English clingan, with related forms in other Germanic languages. The word has undergone regular shifts in spelling and pronunciation over time but retains its core sense of attachment and adhesion.