clinging

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
• Hyphenation: cling‧ing

Verb

clinging

1. present participle and gerund of cling

Synonyms

• (noun): attachment
• (adjective): clingy, adherent, adhesive

Noun

clinging (plural clingings)

1. The act of one who clings.
   • 2013, Lawrence C. Becker, Charlotte B. Becker, Encyclopedia of Ethics, page 217:

     The mind […] ascribes characters to things. It can become attached in the process, the attachment taking such forms as erroneous thoughts and clingings, and the Buddha-nature thereby becomes defiled in the way that the sun may be obscured by clouds or a mirror by dust.

Adjective

clinging

1. clingy.
   • 1894, Ludovic Halévy, Parisian Points of View, page 182:

     Yes, very clinging; my cousin has a delightful figure, and can stand it.

   • 2008, John Bowlby, Attachment:

     He became more clinging, more mischievous and more difficult.

   • 2016, Ferenc Szabadváry, R. Belcher, L. Gordon, History of Analytical Chemistry, page 15:

     It is a greyish white, high melting metal, very clinging, not very ductile and with difficulty malleable.

Derived terms

• clingingly
• clingingness
• unclinging