SWAY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SWAY?

Need another word that means the same as “sway”? Find 72 synonyms and 30 related words for “sway” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Sway” are: rock, shake, carry, persuade, swing, oscillate, undulate, move from side to side, move to and fro, move back and forth, stagger, wobble, lurch, reel, roll, list, stumble, pitch, keel, veer, swerve, waver, fluctuate, vacillate, alternate, vary, see-saw, equivocate, hesitate, go from one extreme to the other, influence, affect, bias, prevail on, bring round, talk round, win over, convert, rule, govern, dominate, control, direct, guide, careen, tilt, sweep, wave, movement, oscillation, undulation, jurisdiction, government, sovereignty, dominion, command, power, authority, ascendancy, domination, mastery, supremacy, leadership, direction, leverage

Sway as a Noun

Definitions of "Sway" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sway” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• Controlling influence.
• A rhythmical movement from side to side.
• Pitching dangerously to one side.
• Rule; control.

Synonyms of "Sway" as a noun (28 Words)

ascendancy	The state that exists when one person or group has power over another. The ascendancy of good over evil.
authority	A book or other source able to supply reliable information or evidence. This book is the final authority on the life of Milton.
careen	Pitching dangerously to one side.
command	The power or authority to command. He had a brilliant command of English.
control	The economic policy of controlling or limiting or curbing prices or wages etc. He had the chance to take the controls and fly the glider.
direction	Something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action. A new council was installed under the direction of the king.
dominion	A region marked off for administrative or other purposes. Man s attempt to establish dominion over nature.
government	Government the system or form by which a community or other political unit is governed. He had considerable experience of government.
influence	One having power to influence another. I was still under the influence of my parents.
jurisdiction	The right and power to interpret and apply the law. Courts having jurisdiction in this district.
leadership	The state or position of being a leader. The party prospered under his leadership.
leverage	Mechanical advantage gained by leverage. Relatively small groups can sometimes exert immense political leverage.
mastery	The action of mastering a subject or skill. Mastery of the seas.
movement	A campaign undertaken by a political social or artistic movement. Politicians have to respect a mass movement.
oscillation	A regular periodic variation in value about a mean. Electromagnetic oscillations.
power	A very wealthy or powerful businessman. The party had been in power for eight years.
rock	A mass of rock projecting above the earth s surface or out of the sea. Rock is a generic term for the range of styles that evolved out of rock n roll.
roll	A gymnastic exercise in which a person tucks their head down and rolls their body in a forward or backwards circle on the floor. I used my momentum and tucked into a roll.
rule	Linguistics a rule describing or prescribing a linguistic practice. The rules of cricket.
shake	A milkshake. Don t miss the homemade cookies and shakes.
sovereignty	Royal authority; the dominion of a monarch. National sovereignty.
supremacy	The state or condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status. The supremacy of the king.
sweep	An act of sweeping something with a brush. A grandiose sweep of his hand.
swing	Mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth. The party went with a swing.
tilt	A combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances. A tilt at the European Cup.
undulation	Wavelike motion; a gentle rising and falling in the manner of waves. The soft undulation of the waves animates the scene.
wave	A shape regarded as resembling a breaking wave. He gave a little wave and walked off.

Usage Examples of "Sway" as a noun

• The country was under the sway of rival warlords.
• The easy sway of her hips.

Sway as a Verb

Definitions of "Sway" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sway” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Control or influence (a person or course of action.
• Move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backwards and forwards or from side to side.
• Win approval or support for.
• Cause to move back and forth.
• Move back and forth or sideways.
• Move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner.
• Rule; govern.

Synonyms of "Sway" as a verb (44 Words)

affect	Connect closely and often incriminatingly. He was visibly affected by the tragedy.
alternate	Be an understudy or alternate for a role. Bouts of depression alternate with periods of elation.
bias	Cause to be biased. Readers said the paper was biased towards the Conservatives.
bring round	Go or come after and bring or take back.
carry	Approve (a proposed measure) by a majority of votes. 550 shops carry the basic range.
control	Control others or oneself or influence skillfully usually to one s advantage. Control the lever.
convert	Exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category. Convert slaves to laborers.
direct	Give directions to point somebody into a certain direction. The judge directed him to perform community service.
dominate	Have dominance or the power to defeat over. A picturesque city dominated by the cathedral tower.
equivocate	Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information. The government have equivocated too often in the past.
fluctuate	Cause to fluctuate or move in a wavelike pattern. The stock market fluctuates.
go from one extreme to the other	Change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.
govern	(of a word) require that (another word or group of words) be in a particular case. The future of Jamaica will be governed by geography not history.
guide	Use as a guide. The groove in the needle guides the thread.
hesitate	Pause in indecision before saying or doing something. Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures.
influence	Have an influence on. Government regulations can influence behaviour but often without changing underlying values and motivations.
keel	Walk as if unable to control one’s movements. It s going to take more wind to make this boat keel over.
list	Enlist for military service. I listed myself for a soldier.
lurch	Defeat by a lurch. The truck lurched down the road.
move back and forth	Follow a procedure or take a course.
move from side to side	Dispose of by selling.
move to and fro	Change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.
oscillate	Vary in magnitude or position in a regular manner about a central point. The grain pan near the front of the combine oscillates back and forth.
persuade	Cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody’s arm. It wasn t easy but I persuaded him to do the right thing.
pitch	Set to a certain pitch. She pitched over the railing of the balcony.
prevail on	Continue to exist.
reel	Wind onto or off a reel. Sailplanes are often launched by means of a wire reeled in by a winch.
rock	Cause to move back and forth. Rock the baby.
roll	Shape by rolling. Huge tears rolled down her cheeks.
rule	Mark or draw with a ruler. The tenth House ruled by Saturn and associated with Capricorn.
see-saw	Move unsteadily, with a rocking motion.
shake	Shake a body part to communicate a greeting feeling or cognitive state. If the bombing cannot shake the government out of its complacency what will.
stagger	Astonish or deeply shock. He staggered along in the heavy snow.
stumble	Make a mistake or repeated mistakes in speaking. Her foot caught in the rug and she stumbled.
swerve	Change or cause to change direction abruptly. A lorry swerved across her path.
swing	Change direction with a swinging motion turn. The Woodstock generation attempted to swing freely.
talk round	Divulge confidential information or secrets.
undulate	Occur in soft rounded shapes. The curtains undulated.
vacillate	Move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern. The line on the monitor vacillated.
vary	Make something more diverse and varied. Prices vary.
veer	(of the wind) change direction clockwise around the points of the compass. The motorbike veered to the right.
waver	Sway to and fro. The flame wavered in the draught.
win over	Be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious.
wobble	(of the voice) vary slightly in pitch; quaver. He is beginning to wobble on the issue.

Usage Examples of "Sway" as a verb

• Wind rattled and swayed the trees.
• The wind swayed the trees gently.
• He swayed slightly on his feet.
• Now let the Lord forever reign and sway us as he will.
• His speech did not sway the voters.
• He's easily swayed by other people.
• The tall building swayed.

Associations of "Sway" (30 Words)

careen	Pitching dangerously to one side. The ship careened out of control.
falter	Speak hesitantly. He faltered and finally stopped in mid stride.
hesitation	The act of pausing uncertainly. I have no hesitation in recommending him.
motion	An optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object. The reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise.
oscillate	(of a circuit or device) cause the electric current or voltage running through it to vary in magnitude or position in a regular manner about a central point. The grain pan near the front of the combine oscillates back and forth.
oscillation	A regular periodic variation in value about a mean. Electromagnetic oscillations.
quake	An earthquake. A big quake east of the Rocky Mountains.
quiver	The act of vibrating. Juliet s lower lip quivered.
seesaw	Move up and down as if on a seesaw.
shake	A milkshake. Don t miss the homemade cookies and shakes.
shaking	A shaky motion. The shaking of his fingers as he lit his pipe.
shiver	Shake, as from cold. The way he looked at her sent shivers down her spine.
shudder	An act of shuddering. The elevator rose with a shudder.
stagger	The arrangement of the runners in lanes on a running track at the start of a race, so that the runner in the inside lane is positioned behind those in the next lane and so on until the outside lane. The treasury staggered from one crisis to the next.
swing	The motion of swinging. Swing a bat.
swinging	The practice of engaging in group sex or the swapping of sexual partners within a group, especially on a habitual basis. A swinging resort.
teeter	Be unable to decide between different courses; waver. She teetered after him in her high heeled sandals.
topple	Cause to topple or tumble by pushing. Disagreement had threatened to topple the government.
totter	Move without being stable, as if threatening to fall. The drunk man tottered over to our table.
tremble	A physical or emotional condition marked by trembling. I tremble to think that we could ever return to conditions like these.
tremor	Undergo a tremor or tremors. A disorder that causes tremors and muscle rigidity.
tremulous	(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear. He gave a tremulous smile.
vacillate	Be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action. I vacillated between teaching and journalism.
vacillation	Changing location by moving back and forth. The First Minister s vacillation over the affair.
vibrate	(of a pendulum) swing to and fro. The bumblebee vibrated its wings for a few seconds.
vibration	An instance of vibrating. The big capacity engine generated less vibration.
waddle	Walk with short steps and a clumsy swaying motion. Ducks walk with a waddle.
wag	(especially with reference to an animal’s tail) move or cause to move rapidly to and fro. She wagged a finger at Elinor.
waver	The act of pausing uncertainly. His love for her had never wavered.
wobble	Move unsteadily. Enthusiastic thumping may wobble the lectern.