cling to (someone or something)
1. Literally, to hold on to someone or something tightly. The little girl clung to her dad's legs and cried as he tried to leave for work. I clung to the side of the rock and prayed that a search party would find me. I clung to the dog's leash as he practically dragged me down the street!
2. By extension, to remain devoted to or entrenched in something, often a belief or opinion. In this ever-changing world, you can't just stubbornly cling to your old beliefs. If that corporate bigwig is still clinging to the notion that he is immune from prosecution, he's in for a rude awakening! When have you ever known Uncle Ned to change? That man will cling to his beliefs until the end of time.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cling to someone or something
1. Lit. to hold on tight to someone or something. The child clung tightly to his mother. As she drifted in the sea, she clung to a floating log.
2. Fig. to hold onto the thought or memory of someone or something; to have a strong emotional attachment to or dependence on someone or something. Her immigrant parents clung to the old ways. Harold clung to the memory of his grandmother.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.