clingy

/ˈklɪŋi/

Other forms: clingier; clingiest

Someone who's clingy needs a lot of attention or emotional support. Your clingy friend gets very upset when you hang out with your other pals and don't invite him.

There are several ways to be clingy, including being emotionally demanding or possessive, like a clingy boyfriend. A clingy child might even physically cling to her parent's leg, wanting to be as close as possible. The emotional meaning of clingy comes from the image of a vine twined around a fencepost, clinging to it. Literally clingy things are sticky or adhesive, like a long, clingy skirt that sticks to your legs.

Definitions of clingy

1. adjective

   demanding or needing attention, affection, or reassurance to an excessive degree
   synonyms: needy

   demanding

   requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill
2. adjective

   having the sticky properties of an adhesive
   synonyms: gluey, glutinous, gummy, mucilaginous, pasty, sticky, viscid, viscous

   adhesive

   tending to adhere