sway

/sweɪ/

/sweɪ/

Other forms: swayed; swaying; sways

Back and forth...back and forth...back and forth...are you sea-sick yet? The sway, or rocking motion, of a boat is too much for many stomachs.

People can sway if they're dizzy, tilting from side to side as they walk. On a windy day you can see trees swaying and bending in the wind. Swaying is usually a gentle motion, but if you're easily swayed, you're in trouble. That means you're easily influenced by others. People of power often "hold sway" over their followers, controlling them with the seeming ease of the breeze.

Definitions of sway

1. verb

   move back and forth or sideways
   “the tall building swayed”

   synonyms: rock, shake

   rock

   cause to move back and forth

   types:

   roll

   move, rock, or sway from side to side

   nutate

   rock, sway, or nod; usually involuntarily

   swag

   sway heavily or unsteadily

   totter

   move without being stable, as if threatening to fall

   type of:

   move back and forth

   move in one direction and then into the opposite direction
2. verb

   move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner
   synonyms: swing

   types:

   waver, weave

   sway to and fro

   lash

   lash or flick about sharply

   oscillate, vibrate

   move or swing from side to side regularly

   brachiate

   swing from one hold to the next

   hunt

   oscillate about a desired speed, position, or state to an undesirable extent

   librate

   vibrate before coming to a total rest

   type of:

   move back and forth

   move in one direction and then into the opposite direction
3. verb

   win approval or support for
   “His speech did not sway the voters”

   synonyms: carry, persuade

   carry

   win in an election

   type of:

   act upon, influence, work

   have and exert influence or effect
4. verb

   cause to move back and forth
   “the wind swayed the trees gently”

   synonyms: rock

   rock, shake

   move back and forth or sideways

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
5. noun

   pitching dangerously to one side
   synonyms: careen, rock, tilt

   type of:

   lurch, pitch, pitching

   abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)
6. noun

   controlling influence
   type of:

   power, powerfulness

   possession of controlling influence