Meaning and Origin
What does the name Sway mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
User Submitted Origins
- To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter."As sparkles from the anvil rise, When heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed." [Spenser.]
- To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide."The will of man is by his reason swayed." [Shak.]"She could not sway her house." [Shak.]"This was the race To sway the world, and land and sea subdue." [Dryden.]
- 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."As bowls run true by being made On purpose false, and to be swayed." [Hudibras.]"Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest." [Tillotson.]
- [Naut] To hoist; as, to sway up the yards.synonyms: To bias; rule; govern; direct; influence; swing; move; wave; wield.
Etymology: OE. sweyen, Icel. sveigja, akin to E. swing; cf. D. zwaaijen to wield, swing. See Swing, and cf. Swag (v. i.)
- To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline."The balance sways on our part." [Bacon.]
- To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward.
- To have weight or influence."The example of sundry churches . . . doth sway much." [Hooker.]
- To bear sway; to rule; to govern."Hadst thou swayed as kings should do." [Shak.]
- The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon."With huge two-handed sway brandished aloft." [Milton.]
- Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires.
- Preponderance; turn or cast of balance."Expert When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway Of battle." [Milton.]
- Rule; dominion; control."When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honor is a private station." [Addison.]
- A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.(Prov. Eng)synonyms: Rule; dominion; power; empire; control; influence; direction; preponderance; ascendency.
- Pitching dangerously to one side
- Controlling influence
- Move back and forth or sideways ("the tall building swayed")
- Cause to move back and forth ("the wind swayed the trees gently")
- Move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner
- Win approval or support for ("His speech did not sway the voters")
Earlier swey (“to fall, swoon”), from Middle English sweyen, from Old Norse sveigja (“to bend, bow”), from Proto-Germanic *swaigijaną (compare Saterland Frisian swooie (“to swing, wave, wobble”), Dutch zwaaien, Dutch Low Saxon sweuen (“to sway in the wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₁- (compare Lithuanian svaĩgti (“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.
- The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
- A rocking or swinging motion.
- The old song caused a little in everyone in the room.
- Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side
- I doubt I'll hold much with someone so powerful.
- Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
- Rule; dominion; control; power.
- A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.
- The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion.