Moved gently back and forth, or influenced someone to change their opinion or decision.
From Old Norse 'sveigja' meaning to bend or swing. The word gained the metaphorical meaning of 'influencing opinion' by the 16th century, comparing opinion-change to physical swaying.
The word 'sway' appears everywhere in politics and advertising because influence literally works like physics—people move slightly in the direction of social pressure, which is why marketing repetition actually rewires your brain's preferences.
Historically used to dismiss women's reasoning as emotionally driven (swayed by feeling rather than logic). Reinforces stereotype of women as irrational decision-makers.
When describing influence, clarify whether reasoning was flawed or legitimate persuasion occurred. Avoid implying emotional weakness when describing women or minoritized groups.
["persuaded","influenced","convinced"]
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