1. swaying movement, moving back and forth; influence, control, authority. move back and forth, swing to and fro; lean in a certain direction; be inclined toward, be sympathetic to; hesitate; cause to swing; influence, affect the opinion or actions of. sway\sway\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. swayed ; p. pr. & vb. n. swaying.] [oe. sweyen, icel. sveigja, akin to e. swing; cf. d. zwaaijen to wield, swing. see:
swing, and cf. swag, v. i.].
2. to move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter. as sparkles from the anvil rise, when heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed.
3. to influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. the will of man is by his reason swayed. she could not sway her house. this was the race to sway the world, and land and sea subdue.
4. to cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as, reeds swayed by wind; judgment swayed by passion. as bowls run true by being made on purpose false, and to be swayed. let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest.
5. (naut.) to hoist; as, to sway up the yards.
6. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter.
7. To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide.
8. To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as, reeds swayed by wind; judgment swayed by passion.
9. To hoist; as, to sway up the yards.
10. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
11. To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward.
12. To have weight or influence.
13. To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
14. The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon.
15. Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires.
16. Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
17. Rule; dominion; control.
18. A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work. controlling influence.
19. 1. When people or things sway, they lean or swing slowly from one side to the other. The people swayed back and forth with arms linked The whole boat swayed and tipped. a coastal highway lined with tall, swaying palm trees.
20. If you are swayed by someone or something, you are influenced by them. Don't ever be swayed by fashion. last minute efforts by the main political parties to sway the voters in tomorrow's local elections.
21. If someone or something holds sway, they have great power or influence over a particular place or activity. South of the Usk, a completely different approach seems to hold sway.
22. If you are under the sway of someone or something, they have great influence over you. How mothers keep daughters under their sway is the subject of the next five sections.