sway

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el vaivén

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balancearse

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Pronunciation

sway(

swey

)

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

noun

1. (movement)

a. el vaivén

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

The sway of the bus knocked him from his feet.El vaivén del autobús lo tiró al suelo.

b. el balanceo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

The bell clanged with the sway of the red buoy.La campana repicaba con el balanceo de la boya roja.

c. la oscilación

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

She sat bored in class, watching the slow sway of the pendulum of the clock.Estaba sentada en clase, aburrida, mirando la lenta oscilación del péndulo del reloj.

2. (influence and control)

a. el dominio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

The villagers were under the total sway of their overlord.Los aldeanos estaban bajo el dominio total de su señor.

b. la influencia

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

If you're a singer, you should meet my friend; she has a lot of sway in the music industry.Si eres cantante, deberías conocer a mi amiga; tiene mucha influencia en la industria de la música.

c. el influjo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

He's a senator who has a lot of sway with progressive voters.Es un senador que tiene mucho influjo entre los votantes progresistas.

This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.

no direct translation

The Emperor brought the population under his sway.El emperador sojuzgó la población.

Wilhelm Griesinger's ideas held sway during the middle and late 19th century.Las ideas de WIlhelm Griesinger preponderaron a mediados y fines del siglo XIX.

An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).

intransitive verb

3. (to move)

a. balancearse

She had her eyes closed as she swayed to the music.Tenía los ojos cerrados mientras se balanceaba con la música.

b. bambolearse

The rumbero swayed to and fro, flicking his handkerchief at his dance partner.El rumbero se bamboleaba de un lado a otro, moviendo el pañuelo frente a su pareja de baile.

c. mecerse

The branches of the tree sway in the gentle breeze.La ramas del árbol se mecen en la suave brisa.

d. tambalearse (clumsily)

Sandra cackled and swayed drunkenly into the street.Sandra rió a carcajadas y salió tambaleándose a la calle por la borrachera.

e. oscilar (building)

From the top, I could feel the tower sway ever so slowly.Desde lo alto, podía sentir oscilar lentamente la torre.

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

4. (to move)

a. menear

She grinded and swayed her hips to the pulse of reggaeton.Perreaba y meneaba las caderas al ritmo del reguetón.

5. (to have an impact on)

a. influir en

Lobbyists are trying to sway the Supreme Court's ruling.Ciertos grupos de presión están pretendiendo influir en el dictamen de la Corte Suprema.

b. influenciar

I don't know if the protest will be able to sway the governor.No sé si las manifestaciones podrán influenciar al gobernador.

c. mover

I don't think he sways many voters, definitely not as many as his opponent.No creo que mueva muchos votantes, sin duda no tantos como su oponente.

sway

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

Noun

1. (movement)

a. el vaivén m, balanceo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

2. (control, power)

a. el dominio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

he was under her swayestaba bajo la férula or el yugo de ella

to hold sway over somethingejercer dominio sobre algo

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

3. (influence, persuade)

a. hacer cambiar (de opinión)

An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).

intransitive verb

4. (general)

a. balancearse

to sway from side to sidebalancearse de un lado a otro

sway [sweɪ]

noun

1 (also swaying) (movement) balanceo (m); oscilación (f); [of train, bus, boat] vaivén (m); balanceo (m); (violent swaying) bamboleo (m); (violent jerk) sacudimiento (m); (totter) tambaleo (m)

2 (rule) dominio (m); (influence) influencia (f); (power) poder (m)

his sway over the party su influencia en el partido; su dominio del partido; to bring a people under one's sway sojuzgar un pueblo; to hold sway over a nation gobernar or dominar una nación; to hold sway over sb mantener el dominio sobre algn; this theory held sway during the 1970s esta teoría se impuso durante la década de los setenta

intransitive verb

(swing) balancearse; oscilar; (gently) mecerse; (violently) bambolearse; (totter) tambalearse

the train swayed from side to side el tren se balanceaba or bamboleaba de un lado para otro; she sways as she walks se cimbrea al andar

transitive verb

1 (move) balancear; (gently) mecer; [+hips] menear; cimbrear;

2 (influence) mover; influir en

he is not swayed by any such considerations tales cosas no influyen en él en absoluto; I allowed myself to be swayed me dejé influir; these factors finally swayed me estos factores terminaron de or por convencerme

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

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