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sway
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- pronunciation:
- sweI
- parts of speech:
- intransitive verb, transitive verb, noun
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word Explorer, Grammatical Patterns
| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| inflections: |
sways, swaying, swayed |
| definition 1: |
to swing back and forth or from side to side; rock.
She swayed in time to the music.- synonyms:
- rock
- similar words:
- oscillate, reel, roll, swing, totter, vacillate, waver, wobble, yaw
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| definition 2: |
to move or incline to one side or direction; veer; lean.
The tree swayed in the fierce wind.- similar words:
- lean, list, rock, slant, swerve, tilt, tip, veer, yaw
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| definition 3: |
to be attracted in sympathy or opinion.
He's swaying toward the other party's policies.- synonyms:
- lean
- similar words:
- bend, incline, move
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| definition 4: |
to hesitate in a decision or opinion; waver.
- synonyms:
- vacillate, waver
- similar words:
- equivocate, fluctuate, halt, hem, hem and haw, hesitate, stagger, waffle, wobble
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| related words: |
cant, dance, lurch, pitch, quake, quaver, shake, teeter, topple, toss, turn |
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to cause to swing back and forth or from side to side.
He swayed her in his arms as they danced.- synonyms:
- swing
- similar words:
- push, rock, roll, shake
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| definition 2: |
to cause to move or incline to one side or direction.
The breeze swayed the palm trees.- similar words:
- incline, lean, tilt, tip
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| definition 3: |
to cause to change a decision or opinion.
Her speech swayed them to change their vote.[verb + smby/smth + infinitive
]
- synonyms:
- cause, induce, influence
- similar words:
- argue, bend, budge, convince, motivate, move, persuade, prompt, swing
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| definition 4: |
to exercise influence over (a person, emotions, opinions, or the like).
Their feelings were powerfully swayed by the speech.- synonyms:
- influence
- similar words:
- argue, carry, crowd, govern, guide, lobby, move, rock, stir, swing, touch
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| definition 5: |
to divert or deflect (someone or something) from the original direction taken.
- synonyms:
- divert
- similar words:
- deflect, dissuade, distract
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| related words: |
actuate, affect, bias, color, control, induce, prejudice, prevail, sell, shake, swing, warp, win, work |
adverb + (v.)sway
easily, silently
(v.)sway
+ adverb
alarmingly,
and,
back,
bit,
dangerously,
drunkenly,
forth,
fro,
gently,
gracefully,
lightly,
little,
overhead,
precariously,
rhythmically,
slightly,
slowly,
softly,
unsteadily,
violently,
wildly
[See all][See only the most frequent]
(v.)sway
+ noun
aisle,
argument,
beat,
bough,
breeze,
choir,
current,
dance,
doorway,
emotion,
foot,
juror,
jury,
lawmaker,
melody,
music,
ocean,
opinion,
porch,
prayer,
public,
rhythm,
saddle,
shoulder,
side,
skirt,
snake,
stalk,
stem,
stop,
sympathy,
unison,
vote,
voter,
voting,
wind
[See all][See only the most frequent]
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| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
an act or instance of swaying.
- similar words:
- influence, rock, shake, swing
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| definition 2: |
sovereignty or authority; dominating influence; control.
The vice president holds sway over many aspects of the business.- synonyms:
- authority, control, dominance, power
- similar words:
- influence, say
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| related words: |
carry, grasp, hold, influence, magnetism, mastery, pitch, pull, weight |
adjective + (n.)sway
considerable, increased, mean, postural, powerful
verb + (n.)sway
fall, hold
noun + (n.)sway
body, bridge, cog, hold
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| derivations: |
swayable (adj.), swayingly (adv.), swayer (n.) |
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