sway
verbEtymology From earlier swey (“to fall, swoon”), from Middle English sweyen, from Old English *swǣġan (“to bend, bow”), from Proto-West Germanic *swaigijan, from Proto-Germanic *swaigijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₁- See also Saterland Frisian swooie (“to swing, wave, wobble”); also Lithuanian svai̇̃gti (“to become giddy or dizzy”), the second element of Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌-𐬱𐬑𐬎𐬀𐬑𐬙𐬀 (paⁱri-šxuaxta, “to surround”), Sanskrit स्वजते (svájate, “he embraces, enfolds”). The noun derived from the verb.
8 senses
- 1To move or swing from side to side; or backward and…
- 2To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
- 3To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion…
- 4To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward…
- 5To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
- 6To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean…
- 7To have weight or influence.
- 8To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
- sway to the music
- The trees swayed in the breeze.
2 more examples
- 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 mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168:
- The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways / Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays1975, Bruce Springsteen, “Thunder Road”, in Born to Run, performed by Bruce Springsteen:
To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
- to sway the sceptre
- As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly, / When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 42:
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?
- This was the race / To sway the world, and land and sea subdue.1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
1 more example
- After all this time […] the woman who endured all that by focusing on her hit list can be swayed from her course by the prospect of her family and her home.2017 July 23, Brandon Nowalk, “The great game begins with a bang on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; to warp.
- reeds swayed by the wind
- judgment swayed by passion
1 more example
- Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest.1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer, […]; [a]nd W. Rogers, […], published 1696, →OCLC:
To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
- euen in these Personall Respects, the Ballance swayes on our part: […]a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC, page 64:
To have weight or influence.
- The example of sundry churches […] doth sway much.[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
- Hadst thou swayed as kings should do.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]: