Synonyms of swaying

swaying 1 of 3

adjective

as in lilting

Related Words

• lilting
• musical
• uniform
• rhythmic
• steady
• even
• metronomic
• metrical
• regular
• cadenced
• measured
• cadent

Dissimilar Words

• unmeasured
• arrhythmic
• nonmetrical
• unrhythmic

swaying

2 of 3

noun

as in influencing

Related Words

• influencing
• prompting
• seduction
• lobbying
• tempting
• coaxing
• wheedling
• pressuring
• entreaty
• exhortation
• cajolery
• persuading
• blandishment
• convincing
• inducing
• brainwashing
• inducement
• cajolement
• conversion
• urging
• suasion
• overpersuasion
• persuasion

swaying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sway

1

as in affecting

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

how can you not be swayed by that precious kitten, meowing as if to say, "Please take me home with you?"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• influencing
• affecting
• impressing
• impacting
• touching
• striking
• reaching
• moving
• interesting
• inspiring
• telling (on)
• involving
• bothering
• getting to
• attracting
• fascinating
• disturbing
• stirring
• dazzling
• concerning
• penetrating
• ravishing
• worrying
• biasing
• transporting
• carrying away
• entrancing
• enchanting
• engaging
• troubling
• harassing
• plaguing
• trying
• upsetting
• distressing
• stressing
• enrapturing
• perturbing
• captivating
• piercing
• disquieting
• afflicting
• charming
• agitating
• enthralling
• smiting
• coloring
• pestering
• bewitching
• flustering
• alluring
• wringing
• discomforting
• straining
• harrying
• discomposing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tiring
• boring
• wearying
• palling
• jading
• underwhelming

2

as in lurching

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

the way the ski lift was swaying in the wind made me nervous

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lurching
• rocking
• shaking
• rolling
• jerking
• tossing
• wobbling
• vibrating
• halting
• careening
• tumbling
• seesawing
• faltering
• wavering
• weaving
• vacillating
• tottering
• pitching
• staggering
• stumbling
• reeling
• waddling
• hobbling
• floundering
• oscillating
• jolting
• bucking
• blundering
• undulating
• teetering
• hitching
• toddling
• wagging
• waggling
• doddering

3

as in governing

archaic to exercise authority or power over

an epic novel set in the days when Rome swayed the Western world

Synonyms & Similar Words

• governing
• ruling
• controlling
• dominating
• commanding
• dictating
• managing
• domineering
• presiding (over)
• leading
• administering
• overseeing
• captaining
• bossing
• regulating
• conducting
• supervising
• heading
• directing
• oppressing
• mastering
• conquering
• superintending
• reigning (over)
• subduing
• micromanaging
• subjugating
• tyrannizing
• lording (it over)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of swaying

Adjective

As the sun set below blush clouds, the gently swaying crowd matched the R&B singer’s sultry energy. — Anna Haines, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2025

Noun

The new Chandelier sandal, characterized by its serpent-spiral shape, is hand embroidered with more than 170 swaying drop beads made from multifaceted or transparent crystals. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Gerber was just 18 at the time, and appeared in the cover swaying and singing with Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026

To me, what emerges from this swaying feels more natural than simply forging ahead with a predetermined, easily understood logic. — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Jordyn was admitted without delay, and before receiving her epidural, Haley and Kelsy stayed close, offering steady support through hip pressure, gentle swaying and laughter. — Christina Cardona, USA Today, 15 July 2026

During those exercises, the arresting officer wrote that Zenk showed multiple signs of impairment, including balance issues, swaying and difficulty following instructions. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Residents described evacuating swaying buildings and seeing entire walls collapse. — Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 25 June 2026

People evacuated swaying buildings and homes in the capital, Caracas. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

Naturally, all eyes were on Swift for much of the night, and the unapologetic fan of popular music did not disappoint — singing along, cheering, swaying, even holding on to her guy for brief moments. — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026

Verb

Foliage rustles in the autumn wind here, and where there aren’t corn husks swaying, there are flat, lonely expanses of dirt where crops have been harvested. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Las Palmas, for one, is a touch more private, surrounded by swaying palms and with a view of the ocean from the top deck. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Jamie Love is swaying, slapping a hand against her thigh to keep time, and mouthing along to the music that plays from a set of portable speakers. — Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Fear is not simply a tool for swaying the uninformed, undecided voter. — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026

The specialists working on the mission had to ensure the drone could carry a human being without flipping over or swaying excessively, according to the unit. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

The observer at the edge of the dance-floor, secretly swaying with the rhythm. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

The surf was raging, completely enveloping the craft with only the swaying masts visible in the blackness of the night. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026