sway
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: swā
ipa: /sweɪ/
rhymes: -eɪ
Forms: form: sways
form: swaying
form: swayed
form: swayed
Etymology: 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 (compare Saterland Frisian swooie (“to swing, wave, wobble”)), from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₁- (compare 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.
Senses: examples: text: sway to the music
text: The trees swayed in the breeze.
text: 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.
ref: 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168:
glosses: To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
examples: text: to sway the sceptre
text: As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly, / When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 42:
glosses: To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
examples: text: Do you think you can sway their decision?
text: This was the race / To sway the world, and land and sea subdue.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 2017 July 23, Brandon Nowalk, “The great game begins with a bang on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
glosses: To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade.
examples: text: reeds swayed by the wind
text: judgment swayed by passion
text: Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest.
ref: 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:
glosses: To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; to warp.
examples: text: to sway up the yards
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
examples: text: euen in these Personall Respects, the Ballance swayes on our part: […]
ref: 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:
glosses: To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
examples: text: The example of sundry churches […] doth sway much.
ref: 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
glosses: To have weight or influence.
examples: text: Hadst thou swayed as kings should do.
ref: 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]:
glosses: To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
Synonyms: word: careen
word: rock
word: sway
word: waver
word: play
Hyponyms: word: librate
word: oscillate
word: stagger
word: undulate
word: vacillate
Derived terms: asway
Related terms: word: persuade
word: shake