しがみつく

し

が

み

つ

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

しがみつく · godan verb (-ku)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	しがみつく	しがみつかない
Polite	しがみつきます	しがみつきません
Past polite	しがみつきました	しがみつきませんでした
Past	しがみついた	しがみつかなかった
Te-form	しがみついて	しがみつかないで
Desire	しがみつきたい	しがみつきたくない
Potential	しがみつける	しがみつけない
Passive	しがみつかれる	しがみつかれない
Causative	しがみつかせる	しがみつかせない
Causative passive	しがみつかせられるalso しがみつかされる	しがみつかせられないalso しがみつかされない
Volitional	しがみつこう
Polite volitional	しがみつきましょう
Imperative	しがみつけ	しがみつくな
Conditional	しがみつけば	しがみつかなければ
Tara conditional	しがみついたら	しがみつかなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

cling to; hold on tightly

usually written using kana alone

Describes physically gripping something or someone tightly, often with a sense of desperation or not letting go.

子こ供どもが母はは親おやの腕うでにしがみついた。
The child clung to the mother's arm.
彼かれは崖がけの岩いわにしがみついて助たすけを待まった。
He clung to a rock on the cliff and waited for help.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉にしがみつくto cling to someone
子こ供どもは怖こわがって母はは親おやにしがみついた。
The child clung to his mother, frightened.
〈物もの〉にしがみつくto cling tightly to an object
彼かれは必ひっ死しにロープにしがみついた。
He desperately clung to the rope.
必ひっ死しにしがみつくto cling on desperately
溺おぼれそうになった彼かの女じょは浮うき輪わに必ひっ死しにしがみついた。
About to drown, she desperately clung to the life buoy.

Kanji

付adhere, attach, refer to

Related words

すがるN1
すがる can mean clinging for emotional support or help, whereas しがみ付く emphasizes a tight, desperate physical grip.
捕つかまるN3
つかまる means to hold onto something for support in a neutral way, while しがみ付く conveys a much tighter, more desperate hold.
抱だきつく
抱きつく specifically means to throw one's arms around someone in an embrace, while しがみ付く focuses on gripping tightly without implying an embrace.
食くい下さがるN1
しがみつく describes clinging tightly with one's whole body or arms, whereas 食い下がる often implies dangling from a grip or arguing persistently without giving in.

Opposites

離はなれるN3
離れる means to separate or move away from something, the opposite of しがみ付く's tight clinging.

Written forms

しがみつくUsage99%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form しがみ付く is rare.
しがみ付つくUsage1%
Kanji form is uncommon; kana spelling is preferred.

Etymology

The word is a compound of しがみ (mimetic or emphatic element) and つく (to attach). The exact origin of しがみ is uncertain, but it likely conveys a sense of clinging tightly.