swayed

[ sweyd ]

/ sweɪd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR swayed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Veterinary Pathology.

swaybacked.

Nearby words

sway, sway bar, sway-back, swayback, swaybacked, swayed, swaz., swazi, swazi territory, swaziland, swazzle

Origin of swayed

First recorded in 1570–80; sway + -ed²

Related formsun·swayed, adjective

Definition for swayed (2 of 2)

sway

[ swey ]

/ sweɪ /

verb (used without object)

to move or swing to and fro, as something fixed at one end or resting on a support.

to move or incline to one side or in a particular direction.

to incline in opinion, sympathy, tendency, etc.: She swayed toward conservatism.

to fluctuate or vacillate, as in opinion: His ideas swayed this way and that.

to wield power; exercise rule.

verb (used with object)

to cause to move to and fro or to incline from side to side.

to cause to move to one side or in a particular direction.

Nautical. to hoist or raise (a yard, topmast, or the like) (usually followed by up).

to cause to fluctuate or vacillate.

to cause (the mind, emotions, etc., or a person) to incline or turn in a specified way; influence.

to cause to swerve, as from a purpose or a course of action: He swayed them from their plan.

to dominate; direct.

to wield, as a weapon or scepter.

to rule; govern.

noun

the act of swaying; swaying movement.

rule; dominion: He held all Asia in his sway.

dominating power or influence: Many voters were under his sway.

Origin of sway

1300–50; (verb) Middle English sweyen < Old Norse sveigja “to bend, sway” (transitive); (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb

SYNONYMS FOR sway

1 wave.

3 lean, bend, tend.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sway ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

sway·a·ble, adjectivesway·er, nounsway·ing·ly, adverbself-sway, noun

un·sway·a·ble, adjectiveun·sway·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See swing¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for swayed

U.S. officials say that this time around there were three factors that swayed Clapper to support the deal.
How Obama Convinced His Spies to Support the Taliban Prisoner Release|Eli Lake|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I saw first hand when I was a trial lawyer that a jury —and even a judge- could be swayed by any one piece of evidence.
Warning: These Rap Lyrics Could Put You in Jail|Dean Obeidallah|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whether the Venezuelans will be swayed by such maneuvers is another matter.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro Declares Early Christmas|Mac Margolis|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Even services that claim neutrality can be swayed by the stockpile of personal data now available to them.
The Internet Shouldn’t Own You|Eric Klinker|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Morales also served two years for an attempted rape when he was a juvenile, which also swayed the jury, she says.
Could Ariel Castro Be Linked to the 1981 Murder of Tammy Seals?|Christine Pelisek|May 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He sagged and swayed for an instant; there was a ghastly, ragged, spongy gap between his shoulders.
The Red Debt|Everett MacDonald
One hand shielded her eyes; the other rested on the half-open gate, and swayed it softly to and fro upon its hinge.
The Astonishing History of Troy Town|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
Stutsman swayed and almost fell as the bands of force released him.
Empire|Clifford Donald Simak
They swarmed up into tall pillars that shook and swayed and gyrated.
The Metal Monster|A. Merritt
Melcher swayed on his feet, swallowed hard, and ran upstairs.
Gladiator|Philip Wylie

British Dictionary definitions for swayed

sway

/ (sweɪ) /

verb

(usually intr) to swing or cause to swing to and fro

(usually intr) to lean or incline or cause to lean or incline to one side or in different directions in turn

(usually intr) to vacillate or cause to vacillate between two or more opinions

to be influenced or swerve or influence or cause to swerve to or from a purpose or opinion

(tr) nautical to hoist (a yard, mast, or other spar)

archaic, or poetic to rule or wield power (over)

(tr) archaic to wield (a weapon)

noun

control; power

a swinging or leaning movement

archaic dominion; governing authority

hold sway to be master; reign

Derived Formsswayable, adjectiveswayer, nounswayful, adjective

Word Origin for sway

C16: probably from Old Norse sveigja to bend; related to Dutch zwaaien, Low German swājen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for swayed

sway

c.1300, "to go, glide, move," probably from Old Norse sveigja "to bend, swing, give way," from Proto-Germanic *swaigijanan and related to swag (v.) and swing. The sense of "swing, wave, waver" is first recorded c.1500. Related: Swayed; swaying. The noun meaning "controlling influence" (to be under the sway of) is 1510s, from a transitive sense of the verb in Dutch and other languages. The verb in this sense is recorded in English from 1590s.

Idioms and Phrases with swayed

sway

see hold sway.

swayed

adjective Veterinary Pathology.

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Nearby words

Origin of swayed

Definition for swayed (2 of 2)

sway

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of sway

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for swayed

British Dictionary definitions for swayed

sway

verb

noun

Word Origin for sway

Word Origin and History for swayed

sway

Idioms and Phrases with swayed

sway