sway

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sweɪ/
• American: sway

Origin

From Middle English sweyen, from Old Norse sveigja meaning "to bend, swing"

Meanings

1. (v) To move slowly from side to side; swing back and forth

   • The trees swayed in the strong wind.
   • The crowd swayed to the rhythm of the music.

2. (v) To influence or control someone/something

   • His emotional speech swayed many voters.
   • Don't let peer pressure sway your decision.

3. (n) Power or influence over others

   • The CEO holds considerable sway over the board members.
   • The media has a strong sway over public opinion.

Related Words

• Forms:
  • swayed (past tense)
  • swaying (present participle)
  • sways (third person singular)
• Synonyms:
  • (movement): swing, rock, oscillate, waver
  • (influence): influence, control, affect, persuade

Memory Tricks

• Think of the letter "S" and how it sways from side to side - just like the meaning of the word
• Remember: "The way to sway is to move like an S"
• Connect it to a swaying palm tree in the wind - a common visual representation of the word

Common Collocations

• sway back and forth
• hold sway
• sway opinion/decision
• sway the crowd