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DictionaryswayInfluence
verb / noun

sway

SWAY/sweɪ/

Movement from side to side under an influence.

The willow's flexible crown sways gently from side to side.

A slender willow gently sways from side to side, its rooted trunk steady below and its flexible crown shown in subtly offset positions.
Etymology
swayMiddle Englishto move, go, carry

Middle English sweien described movement generally, including going quickly or carrying something along. It later acquired the more specific sense of swinging or wavering, leading to movement from side to side.

In context

Epic Travel Vision24:10
When the flowers reach full bloom, color and movement create a ceiling that continuously shifts. Gentle breezes cause the clusters to sway slowly
IMPOSSIBLE PLACES | The Most Beautiful Flower Fields on Earth You’ve Never Seen | 4K Documentary

More examples

  • The boat's steady sway makes me sleepy.
  • One bad review rarely sways my opinion.
  • She holds considerable sway over the committee's decisions.

Forms

sway · sways · swayed · swaying

Similar words

rock
Often suggests repeated tilting around a base or support.
swing
Usually suggests movement in an arc around a fixed point.