clingy
Americanadjective
Usage
What does clingy mean? A person who is overly attached to or emotionally dependent on another person can be described as clingy. What are some other words related to clingy?
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clingy
Explanation
Someone who's clingy needs a lot of attention or emotional support. Your clingy friend gets very upset when you hang out with your other pals and don't invite him. There are several ways to be clingy, including being emotionally demanding or possessive, like a clingy boyfriend. A clingy child might even physically cling to her parent's leg, wanting to be as close as possible. The emotional meaning of clingy comes from the image of a vine twined around a fencepost, clinging to it. Literally clingy things are sticky or adhesive, like a long, clingy skirt that sticks to your legs.
Vocabulary lists containing clingy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, Brittany Wicker says yes to Devonta Anderson soon after they begin dating, but when he discovers she said yes to her wedding dress before they met, he finds that scary and clingy.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
People are getting clingy with their chatbots—and it’s giving friends and family pause.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
In the middle are two young society beauties wearing the new clingy fashions with uncaricatured style, but amongst the mixed-sex groups that mill around them are gratuitously padded older women.
From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025
The costumes are, on the surface, contemporary: We see an Adidas sweatshirt here, a clingy party dress there.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2025
“It means, I never made any promises to Audrey. She got clingy and possessive.”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
