English · Phrasal verb Attested

cling to

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cling, to.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tham khảo cling, to

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To have an intense emotional dependency on (someone).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

phụ thuộc cảm xúc mạnh vào ai đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To remain by (someone's) side; to refuse to leave the company of.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ở bên cạnh và từ chối rời đi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

What does “cling to” mean?

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cling, to.

Is “cling to” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.