Sway — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈswā/

Meaning & Definition of Sway

Sway (noun)

  1. the action or an instance of swaying or of being swayed, an oscillating, fluctuating, or sweeping motion
  2. an inclination or deflection caused by or as if by swaying
  3. a controlling influence

Sway (verb)

  1. to swing slowly and rhythmically back and forth from a base or pivot
  2. to move gently from an upright to a leaning position
  3. to hold sway, act as ruler or governor

Sway (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the power to bring about a result on another

    "under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job"

    similar: effect, impact, influence, mark, repercussion
    related: authority, clout, prestige, pull, weight, command, domination, dominion, mastery, consequence, importance, significance, sovereignty, supremacy
    near: helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

  2. the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly

    "outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities"

    similar: authority, clout, credit, heft, in, influence, juice (slang), leverage, pull, weight
    related: counterinfluence, command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty, supremacy, consequence, eminence, importance, moment, impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark
    near: helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

  3. the right or means to command or control others

    "a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East"

    similar: arm, authority, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s)
    related: clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight, jurisdiction, direction, management, dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty, supremacy, prerogative, privilege, right, eminence, importance, moment
    opposite: impotence, impotency, powerlessness
    near: helplessness, weakness

Sway (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

    "how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, Please take me home with you?"

    similar: affect, impact, impress, influence, move, reach, strike, tell (on), touch, get to
    related: carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, ravish, transport, bias, color, inspire, stir, engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce, afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring, allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate
    near: bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm

  2. to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

    "the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous"

    similar: careen, lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, toss, wobble
    related: blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave, oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle

  3. to exercise authority or power over

    "an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world"

    similar: boss, captain, command, control, govern, preside (over), rule
    related: conduct, direct, head, lead, administer, manage, micromanage, oversee, regulate, superintend, supervise, dictate, dominate, domineer, lord (it over), master, oppress, reign (over), tyrannize, conquer, subdue, subjugate

Related Entry: Hold (verb)

Hold is a different word from Sway. The synonyms below are for hold, not for sway.

  1. to have or keep in one's hands

    "this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder"

    similar: clench, cling (to), clutch, grip, hang on to, hold on to
    related: bear, carry, bag, capture, catch, collar, corral, grab, grapple, hook, land, latch (on or onto), nab, nail, seize, snap (up), snare, snatch, take, trap, feel, finger, handle, paw, clasp, embrace, grasp, hug, cradle
    near: drop, give, hand, unclasp, unhand, cede, deliver, give up, hand out, hand over, release, relinquish, render, turn over, yield

  2. to continue to have in one's possession or power

    "she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest"

    similar: keep, reserve, retain, withhold, hang on to, hold on to
    related: conserve, guard, preserve, protect, save, boast, enjoy, have, own, possess, command, control, detain, direct, manage, rule, bear, harbor, cherish, cling (to), hug, treasure
    opposite: give up, hand over, release, relinquish, surrender, yield
    near: abandon, cede, drop, contribute, donate, give, hand out, discard, dump, decline, reject, repudiate, spurn, lose

  3. to have as an opinion

    "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"

    similar: allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), believe, conceive, consider, deem, esteem, feel, figure, guess, imagine, judge, reckon (chiefly dialect), suppose, think
    related: regard, view, accept, perceive, depend, rely, trust, assume, presume, presuppose, surmise, conclude, deduce, infer
    near: distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, suspect, disbelieve, discredit, reject

  4. to have within

    "the mysterious chest held an ancient book on magic spells and potions"

    similar: bear, boast, contain
    related: accommodate, fit, take, case, encase, enclose, encompass, harbor, house, lodge, shelter

  5. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted"

    similar: bear, cherish, entertain, harbor, have, nurse, hang on to, hold on to
    related: cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain, carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure, cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to), brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)
    near: disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out, erase, expunge

  6. to keep, control, or experience as one's own

    "the same family has held this piece of land for over 100 years"

    similar: command, enjoy, have, own, possess, retain, rejoice in
    related: keep, reserve, withhold, bear, carry, boast, show off, sport
    opposite: lack, want
    near: abandon, cede, disclaim, disown, hand over, relinquish, renounce, surrender, yield, discard, dump, decline, reject, repudiate, spurn, need, require

  7. to make or have room for

    "the couple needed to rent a hall that would hold 300 people"

    similar: accommodate, fit, take
    related: carry, contain, seat, enclose, encompass, enfold, harbor, house

  8. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "please hold my arm on these slippery stairs"

    similar: clasp, grasp, grip, take, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

  9. to think of in a particular way

    "held to be the best blueberry pies in the state"

    similar: account, call, consider, count, esteem, look (on or upon), rate, reckon, regard, set down, view, take for
    related: believe, deem, feel, sense, think, conceive, fancy, imagine

  10. to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)

    "we managed to hold our laughter until we got outside"

    "hold your temper until you hear the whole story"

    similar: bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, govern, inhibit, keep, measure, pull in, regulate, rein (in), restrain, rule, tame
    related: bottle (up), choke (back), hold back, mince, muffle, pocket, repress, sink, smother, squelch, stifle, strangle, suppress, swallow, arrest, interrupt, stop, block, hamper, handcuff, hinder, impede, obstruct, gag, muzzle, silence
    opposite: lose
    near: liberate, loose, loosen, unleash, air, express, take out, vent

  11. to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal

    "held the camera on the actor throughout the scene"

    similar: aim, bend, cast, direct, head, level, pinpoint, set, train
    related: sight, bear, face, concentrate, focus, incline, orient, steer
    near: avert, curve, deflect, detour, divert, rechannel, shunt, sidetrack

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sway

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sway:

Slang: juice
effect, impact, influence, mark, repercussion, authority, clout, credit, heft, in, leverage, pull, weight, arm, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), affect, impress, move, reach, strike, tell (on), touch, careen, lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, toss, wobble

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sway

Words with the opposite meaning of Sway:

impotence, impotency, powerlessness

Related Words for Sway

prestige, domination, consequence, importance, significance, sovereignty, supremacy, counterinfluence, dominance, predominance, scepter, eminence, moment, impression, imprint, voice, jurisdiction, direction, management, imperium, prerogative, privilege, right, carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, ravish, transport

Near Antonyms of Sway

helplessness, weakness, bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm

Word Forms of Sway

Inflections: swayed, swaying, sways

Derived words: swayer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sway

Middle English sweigh, from sweyen

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Sway

sway bar, hold sway, under one's sway, under the sway of (someone)

Frequently Asked Questions about Sway

What does "Sway" mean?

"Sway" means the action or an instance of swaying or of being swayed, an oscillating, fluctuating, or sweeping motion. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the action or an instance of swaying or of being swayed, an oscillating, fluctuating, or sweeping motion. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sway"?

Other words for "Sway" include effect, impact, influence, mark, repercussion, authority, clout and credit. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sway" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sway"?

There are 165 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sway". Common alternatives include effect, impact, influence, mark, repercussion, authority, clout, credit, heft and in.

What is the opposite of "Sway"?

Antonyms of "Sway" include impotence, impotency and powerlessness. Near antonyms include helplessness, weakness, bore and jade.

How do you use "Sway" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sway" in a sentence: "under the sway of euphoria, she offered to take us all out to dinner in celebration of her new job"; "outdated attitudes that still hold sway in some communities"; "a time when Rome held sway over a vast empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East".

Is "Sway" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sway" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Sway"?

"Sway" is pronounced /ˈswā/.

What is the origin of the word "Sway"?

"Sway" comes from Middle English sweigh, from sweyen. First known use: 14th century.