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Sway

 - 4 dictionary results
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sway

  [swey]
Use Sway in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to move or swing to and fro, as something fixed at one end or resting on a support.
2. to move or incline to one side or in a particular direction.
3. to incline in opinion, sympathy, tendency, etc.: She swayed toward conservatism.
4. to fluctuate or vacillate, as in opinion: His ideas swayed this way and that.
5. to wield power; exercise rule.
–verb (used with object)
6. to cause to move to and fro or to incline from side to side.
7. to cause to move to one side or in a particular direction.
8. Nautical. to hoist or raise (a yard, topmast, or the like) (usually fol. by up).
9. to cause to fluctuate or vacillate.
10. to cause (the mind, emotions, etc., or a person) to incline or turn in a specified way; influence.
11. to cause to swerve, as from a purpose or a course of action: He swayed them from their plan.
12. to dominate; direct.
13. to wield, as a weapon or scepter.
14. to rule; govern.
–noun
15. the act of swaying; swaying movement.
16. rule; dominion: He held all Asia in his sway.
17. dominating power or influence: Many voters were under his sway.
Origin:
1300–50; (v.) ME sweyen < ON sveigja to bend, sway (transit.); (n.) ME, deriv. of the v.

Related forms:
sway⋅a⋅ble, adjective
swayer, noun
sway⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. wave. See swing 1 . 3. lean, bend, tend.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Sway with Me Commercial
Check Out the New Nightlife Commercial Feat. the Chrysler 300C
www.Chrysler.com/Nightlife
sway   (swā)   
v.   swayed, sway·ing, sways

v.   intr.

  1. To swing back and forth or to and fro. See Synonyms at swing.

  2. To incline or bend to one side; veer: She swayed and put out a hand to steady herself.

    1. To incline toward change, as in opinion or feeling.

    2. To fluctuate, as in outlook.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to swing back and forth or to and fro.

  2. To cause to incline or bend to one side.

  3. Nautical To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.

    1. To divert; deflect.

    2. To exert influence on or control over: His speech swayed the voters.

    3. To rule or govern.

    4. To wield, as a weapon or scepter.

  5. Archaic

    1. To rule or govern.

    2. To wield, as a weapon or scepter.

n.  

  1. The act of moving from side to side with a swinging motion.

  2. Power; influence.

  3. Dominion or control.


[Middle English sweien, probably of Scandinavian origin.]
sway'er n., sway'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sway 
c.1300, "to go, glide, move," probably from O.N. sveigja "to bend, swing, give way," from P.Gmc. *swaigijanan and related to swag (v.) and swing. The sense of "swing, wave, waver" is first recorded c.1500. The noun meaning "controlling influence" (to be under the sway of) is 1510, from a transitive sense of the verb in Du. and other languages. The verb in this sense is recorded in Eng. from 1593.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

sway

see hold sway.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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