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 followed 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.
00:10
Sway
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To sway
Collins
World English Dictionary
sway (sweɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (usually intr) to swing or cause to swing to and fro |
| 2. | (usually intr) to lean or incline or cause to lean or incline to one side or in different directions in turn |
| 3. | (usually intr) to vacillate or cause to vacillate between two or more opinions |
| 4. | to be influenced or swerve or influence or cause to swerve to or from a purpose or opinion |
| 5. | (tr) nautical to hoist (a yard, mast, or other spar) |
| 6. | archaic, poetic or to rule or wield power (over) |
| 7. | archaic (tr) to wield (a weapon) |
| —n | |
| 8. | control; power |
| 9. | a swinging or leaning movement |
| 10. | archaic dominion; governing authority |
| 11. | hold sway to be master; reign |
| [C16: probably from Old Norse sveigja to bend; related to Dutch zwaaien, Low German swājen] | |
| 'swayable | |
| —adj | |
| 'swayer | |
| —n | |
| 'swayful | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
Only then do extreme groups lose their sway, and influence transfers to moderate groups.
Popular opinion thus has less sway over individual trials.
Please, let's stop trying to prove that there is only one way to sway people's opinions.
Orioles, whose nests sway in the cotton-wood trees by the ditch-side, begin to twitter.
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