What does "sway" mean?
The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
Sway
/sweɪ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
- Grammar: sway is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: rock, rock, tilt, acme.
- Useful contrasts: unswayed, deter, ignore.
- Usage evidence: Tall buildings may sway in a strong wind.
How to use "sway"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sway" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sway" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sway" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sway" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sway" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "rock" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sway", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon. countable, uncountable
- 2 pitching dangerously to one side wordnet
- 3 A rocking or swinging motion. countable, uncountable
"The old song caused a little sway in everyone in the room."
- 4 controlling influence wordnet
- 5 Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side countable, uncountable
"I doubt I'll hold much sway with someone so powerful."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Preponderance; turn or cast of balance. countable, uncountable
- 7 Rule; dominion; control; power. countable, uncountable
"Prospero:[…]Confederates / (ſo drie he was for Sway) with King of Naples / To giue him Annuall tribute, doe him homage / Subiect his Coronet, to his Crowne and bend / The Dukedom yet vnbow'd (alas poore Millaine) / To moſt ignoble ſtooping."
- 8 A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work. countable, uncountable
- 9 The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion. countable, uncountable
- 10 Synonym of sweet flag (“Acorus calamus”) countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock. intransitive
"sway to the music"
- 2 move back and forth or sideways wordnet
- 3 To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield. transitive
"to sway the sceptre"
- 4 cause to move back and forth wordnet
- 5 To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade. transitive
"Do you think you can sway their decision?"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner wordnet
- 7 To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; to warp. transitive
"reeds swayed by the wind"
- 8 win approval or support for wordnet
- 9 To hoist (a mast or yard) into position. transitive
"to sway up the yards"
- 10 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: […]"
- 11 To have weight or influence.
"The example of sundry churches […] doth sway much."
- 12 To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
"Hadst thou swayed as kings should do."
Proper Noun
- 1 A village and civil parish in New Forest district, Hampshire, England (OS grid ref SZ2798).
Antonyms
Example
"Tall buildings may sway in a strong wind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sway"?
Common synonyms include: rock, rock, tilt, acme, administration, advantage.
How do you use "sway" in a sentence?
Tall buildings may sway in a strong wind.
How do you pronounce "sway"?
Pronounced /sweɪ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
From Old English svieia (“noisy stream”) (see swegan (“to make a noise”)), probably referring to the river Avon.