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# sway

«sway» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **to move slowly from side to side, like trees in the wind…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (sway, sways, swayed, swaying); noun (sway)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To sway is to move slowly from side to side, like trees in the wind or a person dancing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#m1)

2) To sway someone is to change their opinion or make them decide something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#m2)

3) Sway (noun) is power or influence over people: «hold sway». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In Jotham's fable the trees will not give up good fruit to be king. Interpretation: Tradition reads the fable as a warning about Abimelech. Those who do good work refuse power, while a thorn is willing to rule. In the primary lessons: In stories and poems «sway» describes gentle movement: «the trees swayed in the breeze», «the boat swayed on the waves». In science, tall buildings and bridges are built to sway a little in wind or earthquakes rather than break. In lessons on persuasion, an advert tries «to sway you» to buy something. Phrases: «sway in the wind», «sway to the music», «hold sway», «be swayed by».

### examples

- But the fig-tree said unto them: Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruitage, and go to hold sway over the trees? (Prophets JDG.9.11, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x1)
- And the vine said unto them: Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees? (Prophets JDG.9.13, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x2)
- But the olive-tree said unto them: Should I leave my fatness, seeing that by me they honour God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees? (Prophets JDG.9.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x3)
- The trees swayed in the wind. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x4)
- We swayed to the music. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x5)
- The boat swayed from side to side. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x6)
- Tall towers sway slightly in strong winds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x7)
- Don't be swayed by adverts. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x8)
- His speech swayed the class to vote for him. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x9)
- The rope bridge swayed as we crossed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x10)
- The nest swayed to and fro, as they sat on the rim and cried. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/#x11)

### note

Past: swayed. «Sway» is gentle; «swing» is a bigger movement on a fixed point. Being «swayed» by friends is not always bad, but think for yourself.

### In the corpora

- [A stick insect sways like a twig in the wind and drops to the floor stiff as a stick when touched.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/330-unusual-pets-stick-insects-giant-snails-ant-farms-and-hermit-crabs/2/)
- [Tall buildings even sway a little in the wind on purpose, because a building that can bend a little does not snap.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/technology/30-bridges-and-skyscrapers/9/)
- [Buildings made to bend and sway a little stand up to earthquakes better than stiff brick ones.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/62-volcanoes-and-earthquakes/19/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sway» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/sway/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.