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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hold sway en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To have the greatest influence (over someone or something); to be pre-eminent; to dominate.
    • Neither appeal seemed to hold sway with Kaplan, who stated that while he took into account that Bankman-Fried has autism and is socially awkward, he had committed a very serious crime. 2024 March 28, Nick Robins-Early, “‘He knew it was wrong’: Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison over FTX fraud”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
    • Within Lololand, of course, no Chinese writ runs, no Chinese magistrate holds sway, and the people, more or less divided among themselves, are under the government of their tribal chiefs. 1913, Elizabeth Kimball Kendall, A Wayfarer in China:
    • Not only is Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne stronger than hers, thanks to a patriarchal society, but her heroic deeds—and the attendant risks—hold no sway in the North. 2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2021:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
holding sway Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
holds sway Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
held sway Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
held sway Tense=Past lexicographic

Translations (7)

it dominare (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · sv dominera (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · cs ovládat (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · cs udržet si nadvládu (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · pl wodzić rej (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · ru преобладать (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate) · cs mít vliv (to have the greatest influence (over someone or something) — see also dominate)