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STICK, ADHERE, COHERE, CLING, CLEAVE mean to become closely attached.

STICK implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

e.g. couldn't get the label to stick

ADHERE is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

e.g. antibodies adhering to a virus

COHERE suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

e.g. eggs will make the mixture cohere

CLING implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

e.g. clinging to a capsized boat

CLEAVE stresses strength of attachment.

e.g. the wet shirt cleaved to his back

verb (past and past participle clung |kləNG| ) no object (cling to/onto/on)

(of a person or animal) hold on tightly to:

〈人が〉 【人･物に】しがみつく, すがりつく(on) «to, onto, at»

e.g. she clung to Joe's arm

e.g. they clung together

e.g. figurative : she clung onto life.

(cling to) adhere or stick firmly or closely to; be hard to part or remove from:

〈においが〉 【物に】しみつく «to»

e.g. the smell of smoke clung to their clothes

〈衣類などが〉 【人･物に】からみつく, まとわりつく; くっつく(on) «to, around»

e.g. the fabric clung to her smooth skin.

(cling to) remain very close to:

【所有物･地位･権力などに】しがみつく; 手放そうとしない(on) «to»

e.g. the fish cling to the line of the weed.

remain persistently or stubbornly faithful to:

【考え･信念･感情などに】こだわる, 固執する, 執着する(on) «to»

e.g. she clung resolutely to her convictions.

be overly dependent on someone emotionally:

e.g. you are clinging to him for security.

noun (also cling peach)

a clingstone peach.

(桃などの)種離れの悪い果実

clinger noun

Old English clingan‘stick together’, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch klingen ‘adhere’, Middle High German klingen ‘climb’, also to clench.