Clinger Meaning in English

word

US

UK

Definition

A clinger is a person who tries to stay very close to someone, often needing a lot of attention and not giving the other person space, especially in relationships or friendships.

Usage & Nuances

Informal and often negative; 'clinger' is usually used in dating or friendship contexts to describe someone who is overly needy, sometimes making others uncomfortable. Not used for children; more common for adults. Avoid calling someone this to their face—it's considered rude.

• Spanish: persona dependiente - persona pegajosa (relaciones)
• Portuguese (BR): grudento - pessoa dependente (relacionamentos)
• Portuguese (PT): pessoa pegajosa - dependente (relacionamentos)
• Chinese (Simplified): 依赖他人的人 - 缠人的人
• Chinese (Traditional): 依賴他人的人 - 纏人的人
• Hindi: चिपके रहने वाला (व्यक्ति) - जरूरत से ज़्यादा आश्रित व्यक्ति
• Arabic: شخص متشبث - شخص يعتمد بشكل مفرط
• Bengali: জোর করে লেগে থাকা মানুষ - অতিরিক্ত নির্ভরশীল ব্যক্তি
• Russian: навязчивый человек
• Japanese: しつこい人 - 依存しがちな人
• Vietnamese: người bám dính - người quá phụ thuộc
• Korean: 집착하는 사람
• Turkish: yapışkan insan - aşırı bağımlı kişi
• Urdu: چپکے رہنے والا (زیادہ توجہ مانگنے والا)
• Indonesian: orang yang posesif - orang yang terlalu menempel

Example Sentences

He acts like a clinger in every relationship.

basic

You don’t want to come off as a clinger when you start dating someone.

natural

My friend is a clinger and wants to spend every minute together.

basic

Sometimes being a clinger pushes people away.

basic

I like her, but she’s a total clinger, and it’s starting to feel overwhelming.

natural

After a few weeks, it was clear he was a bit of a clinger, so things ended.

natural