sway

Meaning

1. To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
2. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
3. To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade.
4. To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; to warp.
5. To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
6. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
7. To have weight or influence.
8. To bear sway; to rule; to govern.

swing

be unsteady

lumber along

be lopsided

wield

blow about

rock to and fro

backward and forward

be capricious

pursue erratic course

stroke

make anxious

lean to a particular side

persuade somebody to believe

swish back and forth

waver between opinions

waving motion

swinging motion

seving

weight with

ability

lean over

shilly shally

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/sweɪ/

From 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.