Words / B2

KLING/klɪŋ/

To cling is to hold on tightly, or to refuse to give up an idea or hope (cling to): cling to a branch; cling to an outlier. Hold on is everyday; stick is physical. Do not cling to an outlier as if it were the trend. Mix-up: clang; clinic (already in the dictionary). Do not write cling for a light tap.

Meaning

To hold on tightly, or to refuse to give up an idea or hope (cling to).

Examples

• “Do not cling to an outlier as if it were the trend, the methods tutor said.”
• “Ivy clung to the wall in the fieldwork photo, which is the physical-hold sense.”

Good to know

cling to + noun; cling on. Everyday: hold on. Trap: clang / clinic. Methods, literature, and biology. Hold tightly, or refuse to drop an idea.

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