sway
English
Pronunciation
Etymology
Earlier swey (“to fall, swoon”), from Middle English sweyen, from Old Norse sveigja (“to bend, bow”), from Proto-Germanic *swaigijanan (compare Saterland Frisian swooie (“to swing, wave, wobble”), Dutch zwaaien, Dutch Low Saxon sweuen (“to sway in the wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *swaig- (compare Lithuanian svaĩgti (“to become giddy or dizzy”), the second element of Avestan pairišxuaxta (“to surround”), Sanskrit ... (svájate, “he embraces, enfolds”)).
Noun
sway (plural sways)
- The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
- A rocking or swinging motion.
- The old song caused a little sway in everyone in the room.
- Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires.
- I doubt I'll hold much sway with someone so powerful.
- Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
- Rule; dominion; control.
- A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.
- The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion
Translations
The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon
Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side
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Preponderance; turn or cast of balance
A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work
Verb
sway (third-person singular simple present sways, present participle swaying, simple past and past participle swayed)
- To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
- The trees swayed in the breeze.
- sway to the music
- 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 5, The Younger Set[1]:
- Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume ; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of rose-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees ; … .
- To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter.
- To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade
- Do you think you can sway their decision?
- To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as, reeds swayed by wind
- judgment swayed by passion
- (nautical) To hoist (a mast or yard) into position
- to sway up the yards
- To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
- To have weight or influence.
- To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
Translations
To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock
To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter
To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide
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To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp
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To hoist
To have weight or influence
To bear sway; to rule; to govern
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Translations to be checked
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