'Sway' definitions:
Definition of 'sway'
From: WordNet
noun
Controlling influence
noun
verb
Move back and forth or sideways; "the ship was rocking"; "the tall building swayed"; "She rocked back and forth on her feet" [syn: rock, sway, shake]
verb
Move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner; "He swung back" [syn: swing, sway]
verb
Win approval or support for; "Carry all before one"; "His speech did not sway the voters" [syn: carry, persuade, sway]
verb
Cause to move back and forth; "rock the cradle"; "rock the baby"; "the wind swayed the trees gently" [syn: rock, sway]
Definition of 'Sway'
From: GCIDE
- Sway \Sway\ (sw[=a]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Swaying.] [OE. sweyen, Icel. sveigja, akin to E. swing; cf. D. zwaaijen to wield, swing. See Swing, and cf. Swag, v. i.]
- 1. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter. [1913 Webster]
- As sparkles from the anvil rise, When heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. [1913 Webster]
- The will of man is by his reason swayed. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- She could not sway her house. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- This was the race To sway the world, and land and sea subdue. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as, reeds swayed by wind; judgment swayed by passion. [1913 Webster]
- As bowls run true by being made On purpose false, and to be swayed. --Hudibras. [1913 Webster]
- Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest. --Tillotson. [1913 Webster]
- 4. (Naut.) To hoist; as, to sway up the yards. [1913 Webster]
- Syn: To bias; rule; govern; direct; influence; swing; move; wave; wield. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Sway'
From: GCIDE
- Sway \Sway\, n.
- 1. The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon. [1913 Webster]
- With huge two-handed sway brandished aloft. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires. --A. Tucker. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Preponderance; turn or cast of balance. [1913 Webster]
- Expert When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway Of battle. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 4. Rule; dominion; control. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]
- When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honor is a private station. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
- 5. A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. [1913 Webster]
- Syn: Rule; dominion; power; empire; control; influence; direction; preponderance; ascendency. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Sway'
From: GCIDE
- Sway \Sway\ (sw[=a]), v. i.
- 1. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline. [1913 Webster]
- The balance sways on our part. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To have weight or influence. [1913 Webster]
- The example of sundry churches . . . doth sway much. --Hooker. [1913 Webster]
- 4. To bear sway; to rule; to govern. [1913 Webster]
- Hadst thou swayed as kings should do. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'sway'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- acme,
- administration,
- affect,
- alternate,
- amplitude,
- angle,
- angle off,
- angularity,
- argue into,
- ascend,
- ascendancy,
- authority,
- authorization,
- back and fill,
- bank,
- be-all and end-all,
- bear off,
- bear reign,
- bend,
- bias,
- blue ribbon,
- blunder,
- bob,
- bobble,
- break down,
- bring,
- bring over,
- bring round,
- bring to reason,
- cant,
- captivate,
- careen,
- career,
- carry,
- cave in,
- championship,
- charisma,
- charm,
- civil government,
- claws,
- climb,
- clout,
- clutches,
- coggle,
- collapse,
- color,
- command,
- con,
- conduct,
- consequence,
- control,
- convince,
- credit,
- crook,
- dangle,
- decide,
- decline,
- deflect,
- descend,
- determine,
- deviate,
- dip,
- direct,
- direction,
- directorship,
- discipline,
- dispensation,
- dispose,
- disposition,
- distort,
- divagate,
- diverge,
- divert,
- dominance,
- domination,
- dominion,
- draw over,
- drop,
- ebb and flow,
- effect,
- effectiveness,
- eminence,
- empery,
- empire,
- enchantment,
- engage,
- enlist,
- esteem,
- expanse,
- fall,
- fall away,
- fall in,
- fall off,
- falter,
- favor,
- first place,
- first prize,
- flounce,
- flounder,
- fluctuate,
- flutter,
- force,
- form of government,
- founder,
- gain,
- gain over,
- get,
- get to do,
- go downhill,
- go through phases,
- go uphill,
- good feeling,
- govern,
- governance,
- government,
- grade,
- grasp,
- grip,
- hand,
- hands,
- headship,
- heave,
- hegemony,
- height,
- highest,
- hobbyhorse,
- hold,
- hook,
- hook in,
- imperium,
- importance,
- impress,
- incidental power,
- inclination,
- incline,
- induce,
- influence,
- influentiality,
- insinuation,
- inspire,
- interest in,
- iron hand,
- jaundice,
- jurisdiction,
- keel,
- kingship,
- labor,
- lead,
- leadership,
- lean,
- leaning,
- leaning tower,
- leverage,
- librate,
- libration,
- list,
- lordship,
- lurch,
- lure,
- magnetism,
- make heavy weather,
- manage,
- management,
- mastership,
- mastery,
- maximum,
- might,
- moment,
- most,
- move,
- ne plus ultra,
- new high,
- nutate,
- oblique,
- oscillate,
- outtalk,
- overrule,
- oversight,
- palms,
- paramountcy,
- pendulate,
- personality,
- persuade,
- persuasion,
- pitch,
- pitch and plunge,
- pitch and toss,
- plunge,
- political organization,
- polity,
- potency,
- pound,
- power,
- predispose,
- predominance,
- prejudice,
- prejudice against,
- prejudice the issue,
- preponderance,
- prepossess,
- presidency,
- pressure,
- prestige,
- prevail on,
- prevail upon,
- prevail with,
- primacy,
- procure,
- prompt,
- purchase,
- raj,
- rake,
- range,
- reach,
- rear,
- record,
- reel,
- regime,
- regimen,
- regnancy,
- regulation,
- reign,
- repute,
- resonate,
- retreat,
- ring the changes,
- rise,
- rock,
- roll,
- rule,
- rule over,
- say,
- scend,
- scope,
- seesaw,
- seethe,
- sell,
- sell one on,
- shake,
- sheer,
- shelve,
- shift,
- shuffle,
- sidle,
- skew,
- slant,
- slope,
- slue,
- soften up,
- sovereignty,
- spread,
- stagger,
- stretch,
- strike,
- strings,
- struggle,
- stumble,
- suasion,
- subtle influence,
- suggestion,
- supervision,
- supremacy,
- swag,
- sweep,
- swerve,
- swing,
- swinging,
- system of government,
- talk into,
- talk over,
- talons,
- teeter,
- teeter-totter,
- tempt,
- tend,
- thrash about,
- tilt,
- tinge,
- tip,
- tone,
- top spot,
- topple,
- topple down,
- topple over,
- toss,
- toss and tumble,
- toss and turn,
- totter,
- touch,
- tower of Pisa,
- tumble,
- turn,
- twist,
- undulate,
- upper hand,
- uprise,
- vacillate,
- vary,
- veer,
- vibrate,
- volutation,
- wag,
- waggle,
- wallop,
- wallow,
- wangle,
- wangle into,
- warp,
- wave,
- waver,
- wax and wane,
- wear down,
- wear the crown,
- weave,
- weigh with,
- weight,
- welter,
- whip hand,
- wield the scepter,
- win,
- win over,
- wobble,
- work,
- yaw,
- zenith