Sitting position: If you move back and forth, you "rock" but side to side is "swaying". What's the difference?

Answer 1

Actually, denotatively, swaying and rocking can occur in any direction. They are synonymous.

As you can see, many people assign various connotative meanings to the words depending on context, but still, swaying and rocking are synonyms.

Answer 2

Its like the difference between the 'waft' and 'weft' of (in) fabrics, denoting the directions of these two sets of threading.

'Rock ~ back n forth'

'Sway ~ from side to side'

You could use both to mean the same thing, but then it wouldn't bring clarity to the mind of someone who needed to know whether the person was rocking from side to side, or backwards n forwards.

Anyway, both words are easier (for brevity) to state what was going on than using 4 or 5 words ~ if needs be.

Alternatively, you have the 'choice' ~ which is always nice to have ~ of using which ever you prefer to use.

Sash.

Answer 3

Good question. Maybe it's just a distinction between the direction of movement, like in an airplane (a turn where one wing goes up and the other goes down is a "roll," a maneuver where the nose goes up or down is a "pitch," and a turn where the wings stay level but the craft changes direction -- also known as a flat-spin -- is a "yaw.")

Answer 4

It's similar to "nodding" your head vs. "shaking" it - they are similar movements, yet they connote completely different meanings. To me, "rocking back and forth" means you're antsy, while "swaying" means you're bored.

Answer 5

the direction...rocking is a nervous trait while swaying is a relaxing one

Answer 6

In one way you move yourself forward and backward; whereas the other is just the opposite!

Answer 7

Two different things, so two different descriptive words.