sway
sway — verb
- swaypresent simple I / you / we / they
- swayshe / she / it
- swayedpast simple
- swaying-ing form
1. to move slowly and gently from one side to the other, or to make something move
to move slowly and gently from one side to the other, or to make something move in this way — for example, trees swaying in the breeze or a person swaying to music
The long grass swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.
intransitive: natural object as subject
As the music played, Vinícius swayed slowly from side to side.
The strong wind swayed the palm trees along the coastal road.
Eve swayed her hips as she walked down the hallway.
The ferry began to sway as the waves grew stronger.
文法句型
sway + adverb
sway + object + adverb
2. to make something or someone change position or direction, especially by applyin
to make something or someone change position or direction, especially by applying force or pressure from one side
The sudden gust swayed the ladder and Marco nearly lost his balance.
transitive: wind as agent causing deflection
Chidi swayed the heavy crate carefully to one side to reach the boxes behind it.
transitive: person moving an object by tilting
The weight of the snow swayed the branch until it snapped.
A sudden gust swayed the boat to one side and nearly knocked the crew off their feet.
文法句型
sway + object
sway + object + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
The subject is usually a physical force (wind, weight, pressure) or a person applying such a force. This sense is always transitive — there is no intransitive version with this meaning.
3. to influence someone's opinion or decision so that they think or act differently
to influence someone's opinion or decision so that they think or act differently than before — for example, swaying a voter with a strong argument or being swayed by emotion
The senator's speech swayed several undecided voters before election day.
transitive: sway + person/group
Roya tried to sway her parents by showing them the school's excellent test results.
transitive: sway + person + by + reason
Imran's emotional appeal swayed the committee to approve the funding.
Nothing could sway Min once the offer had been fully considered.
The advertisement was designed to sway young people into buying the latest smartphone.
文法句型
sway + person
sway + person/group + into + doing
be swayed by + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive form 'be swayed by [something]' to describe someone whose opinion changed because of an argument, emotion, or influence. Unlike 'persuade', 'sway' often suggests emotional or indirect influence rather than active argument or logical reasoning.
常見錯誤
sway — noun
1. the power to affect what people think or do, especially within a group, organiza
the power to affect what people think or do, especially within a group, organization, or country
The religious leader held great sway over the local community for many years.
collocation: hold sway over
Foreign powers tried to gain sway in the region through trade and investment.
collocation: gain sway
Asher's opinions held little sway with the other board members.
The kingdom fell under the sway of a neighbouring empire after the war.
用法筆記
Almost always used in fixed phrases: 'hold sway' (to have influence or control), 'gain sway' (to acquire influence), 'under the sway of' (controlled or influenced by). 'Sway' in this sense is uncountable and not used with the article 'a'.
常見錯誤
2. a slow, gentle rocking motion from one side to the other, like the movement of a
a slow, gentle rocking motion from one side to the other, like the movement of a tree in the wind or a boat on the water
The sway of the train made Jiwoo feel a little dizzy during the journey.
collocation: the sway of [vehicle]
Otis checked the rope to make sure the boat's sway would not loosen the knot.
The gentle sway of the hammock helped the baby fall asleep quickly.
Kevin adjusted his stance to counter the sway of the ship on the rough sea.
- rocking
suggests a more back-and-forth motion, often with more force than sway
- swinging
implies movement through an arc from a fixed point above
- oscillation
more technical; used in scientific contexts for regular back-and-forth motion