{
    "term": "cling",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "cling",
            "heSheIt": "clings"
        },
        "pastSimple": "clung",
        "pastParticiple": "clung",
        "ingForm": "clinging"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to hold on tightly to somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "cling to somebody/somethingcling on to somebody/somethingcling oncling together",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "survivors clinging to a raft",
                    "contextForm": "cling to somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Leaves still clung to the branches."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She clung on to her baby.",
                    "contextForm": "cling on to somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Cling on tight!",
                    "contextForm": "cling on"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They clung together, shivering with cold.",
                    "contextForm": "cling together"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I clung closely to my mother's arm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She clung fiercely to him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He clung onto my arm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The children clung together in fear."
                },
                {
                    "text": "houses clinging precariously to sheer cliffs"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She clung tightly to her baby."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Survivors clung to pieces of floating debris."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The ground mist clung closely to the bushes."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["closely", "firmly", "tightly"],
                "preposition": ["onto", "to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to stick to something",
            "sensetop": "cling to something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a dress that clings *(= fits closely and shows the shape of your body)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The wet shirt clung to his chest.",
                    "contextForm": "cling to something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The smell of smoke still clung to her clothes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her hair clung to her hot damp skin."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to stay close to somebody, especially because you need them emotionally",
            "sensetop": "cling (to somebody)",
            "labels": "(usually disapproving)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "After her mother's death, Sara clung to her aunt more than ever."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["close", "closely"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/cling__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klɪŋz/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clings__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klʌŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clung__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈklɪŋɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clinging__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/cling__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klɪŋz/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clings__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/klʌŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clung__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈklɪŋɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/cling/clinging__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English clingan ‘stick together’, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch klingen ‘adhere’, Middle High German klingen ‘climb’, also to clench."
}