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
Synonyms
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
The twisted off-the-shoulder top and clingy trousers felt relaxed and chic.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 24 June 2024
Comer was dressed mainly in knits and clingy sweaters.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 June 2024
Elder Price, a seemingly perfect young Mormon man, gets teamed up with the dorky and clingy Elder Cunningham for their mission assignment — an odd couple that proselytizes together.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
Among other things, the survey asked mothers whether their children were restless, hyperactive, impatient, clingy or accident-prone.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for clingy 
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 24 June 2024
Comer was dressed mainly in knits and clingy sweaters.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 June 2024
Elder Price, a seemingly perfect young Mormon man, gets teamed up with the dorky and clingy Elder Cunningham for their mission assignment — an odd couple that proselytizes together.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
Among other things, the survey asked mothers whether their children were restless, hyperactive, impatient, clingy or accident-prone.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for clingy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clingy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clingy
Cite this Entry
“Clingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clingy. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share