Meaning
“Cling to” means to hold tightly to something (physically or emotionally) and to be unwilling to let go. It can also mean strongly keeping an idea, belief, or person even when it may not be practical or reasonable.
Grammar and Usage
- Phrasal verb: cling to
- Verb form: intransitive verb + preposition (cling to something/someone)
- Structure: cling to + noun/pronoun
Patterns
- cling to someone: hold onto a person physically or emotionally.
- cling to something: keep believing in or depending on an idea, hope, or object.
Common Phrases
- cling to hope
- cling to the past
- cling to life
- cling to someone’s hand
Collocations
- Verbs: desperately cling to, still cling to, continue to cling to
- Nouns: cling to hope, cling to tradition, cling to power, cling to belief
Examples
- The child clung to her mother’s hand in the crowded station.
- Even after the accident, he clung to the hope that his friend would survive.
- Some people cling to old traditions despite modern changes.
- She clung to the wall while climbing up the icy steps.
- The politician clung to power even after losing public support.
- He still clings to the belief that hard work always guarantees success.
- The survivors clung to life until rescuers arrived.
Synonyms or Related
- hold on to
- stick to
- keep
- grasp
- hang on to
Antonym
- let go of
- abandon
- release
- give up