Sway vs Steer - What's the difference?
sway | steer | Related terms |
The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
A rocking or swinging motion.
Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires.
Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
Rule; dominion; control.
A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.
The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion
To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
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*:Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
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*(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
*:As sparkles from the anvil rise, / When heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed .
To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade .
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*(John Dryden) (1631-1700)
*:This was the race / To sway the world, and land and sea subdue.
To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp.
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*(John Tillotson) (1630-1694)
*:Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest.
(lb) To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
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To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
*(Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
*:The balance sways on our part.
To have weight or influence.
*(Richard Hooker) (1554-1600)
*:The example of sundry churchesdoth sway much.
To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
*(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
*:Hadst thou swayed as kings should do.
The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.
* 1913 , (Willa Cather),
(informal) A suggestion about a course of action.
To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
* Tennyson
To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.
* Milton
To direct a group of animals.
To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action.
To direct a conversation.
To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.
Sway is a related term of steer.
As nouns the difference between sway and steer
is that sway is the act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon while steer is the castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production or steer can be (informal) a suggestion about a course of action or steer can be (obsolete) a helmsman; a pilot.As verbs the difference between sway and steer
is that sway is to move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock while steer is to castrate (a male calf) or steer can be to guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).sway
English
(wikipedia sway)Noun
(en noun)- The old song caused a little sway in everyone in the room.
- I doubt I'll hold much sway with someone so powerful.
Verb
(en verb)See also
* persuadeAnagrams
* * English ergative verbssteer
English
Etymology 1
(etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- He counted the cattle over and over. It diverted him to speculate as to how much weight each of the steers would probably put on by spring.
Synonyms
* oxHypernyms
* cattleCoordinate terms
* bull, calf, cowEtymology 2
From (etyl) stieran.Noun
(en noun)- I tried to give you the steer , but I guess I didn't get it over. Everybody knew it but you.'' (Mark Hellinger, 1939, ''The Roaring Twenties )
Verb
(en verb)- When planning the boat trip we had completely forgotten that we needed somebody to steer .
- No helmsman steers .
- I find it very difficult to steer a skateboard.
- I steered my steps homeward.
- The boat steers easily.
- Where the wind / Veers oft, as oft [a ship] so steers , and shifts her sail.
- Hume believes that principles of association steer the imagination of artists.