clingier; clingiest
: having the quality of clinging to someone or something: such as
a
: tending to adhere to a surface upon contact
a clingy plastic wrap
clingy fabrics/clothes
In her clingiest [=tightest-fitting] dress she swings into town and soon has the men howling.—
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
b
: tending to stay very close to someone (such as a parent) for emotional support, protection, etc.
a clingy child
Some kids act out or become whiny to get a parent's attention; others become clingy or fearful.—Leah Hennen
Leah Hennen
clinginess
noun
disliked the fabric's clinginess
Any number of women I interviewed cited clinginess in a boyfriend as a major deal breaker.
—Liza Mundy
Liza Mundy
Examples of clingy in a Sentence
it took forever to clean up the clingy Styrofoam pellets that had been used as packing material for the lamp
Recent Examples on the Web
This cleaner sprays on and foams up to lift and suspend clingy particulates.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
Kids with an anxious attachment can be clingy, sensitive, and have low-esteem.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 11 June 2026
Calvin Klein hasn’t owned Calvin Klein for decades, but the most Calvin Klein-y part of Calvin Klein — the clingy white boxer briefs that Marky Mark once donned on billboards over Times Square — is suddenly back in fashion.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
The first police officer to arrive on scene found Rylaarsdam performing CPR on Dale, who was wearing sweatpants and shiny black boots and was wrapped in clingy plastic from about the thighs down.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clingy
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Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
Kids with an anxious attachment can be clingy, sensitive, and have low-esteem.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 11 June 2026
Calvin Klein hasn’t owned Calvin Klein for decades, but the most Calvin Klein-y part of Calvin Klein — the clingy white boxer briefs that Marky Mark once donned on billboards over Times Square — is suddenly back in fashion.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
The first police officer to arrive on scene found Rylaarsdam performing CPR on Dale, who was wearing sweatpants and shiny black boots and was wrapped in clingy plastic from about the thighs down.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clingy
Cite this Entry
“Clingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clingy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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