The Meaning of Swag: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the various meanings of swag? This article will teach you how to use the informal slang word swag in many, many ways.

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The word swag has become quite popular in recent years, but what does it mean? This article will help you learn the meaning of the word swag and provide information on topics related to the word swag. These include the etymology of the word swag, translations of swag, words that you can use in place of the word swag, and example sentences containing swag.

What Does Swag Mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary, swag is a noun with a few possible meanings. The two most common meanings of swag are either stolen goods or money or a free promotional product. Swag is an informal slang term, and the pronunciation of swag is swæɡ.

The word swag can also refer to the personal belongings of a swagman, or a decorative piece of material that hangs above a window. Swag can be used as a noun form of swagger, a verb that means to walk proudly and confidently.

What Is the Origin of Swag?

According to Dictionary, the word swag has been used since 17th century Middle English. This word is of Scandinavian origin and comes from the Norwegian svagga, which means “to sway.”

How Can Swag Be Used in a Sentence?

Swag is often used in an informal way as a slang term for certain types of goods. Usually, swag is given out at an event to promote a company or product. 

First, take a look at the below example sentences containing swag to learn how to use this new word. Then, try to see if you can come up with your own example sentences with swag to better your understanding.

Example #1: Swag for Athletes

In July, the athletes that competed in the Olympics got a free swag bag filled with souvenirs, t-shirts, koozies, and other loot.

Example #2: Swag for a Musician

I received a lot of swag on my tour around Australia promoting my albums in October, but none of it was my personal style. It all had ugly ornamental drapery and made me look like I was wearing a curtain.

Example #3: Swag for Attendees

While the attendees were grateful for the bags of swag, all of the wearables and promotional items were very obviously made for promotional purposes. The gifts were quite tacky.

Example #4: The Swag Tent

We stopped by the swag tent on our way out of the party to grab the free possessions and put them in our pack of personal belongings.

Example #5: A Piece of Lucky Swag

Oscar wore the Jay Z swag he purchased at the concert everywhere. He thought the shirt was lucky and would wear it when we had a quiz in class.

What Are Translations of Swag?

Since swag is a slang term, people who do not speak English may not understand what it means. It is important to make sure you know translations of swag if you are going to be speaking with someone who does not know English as a first language. Nice Translator can help you start learning translations of swag.

  • Swedish: bylte
  • Welsh: swag
  • Ukrainian: шматок
  • Croatian: plijen
  • Bulgarian: поклонник
  • Swahili: madoido
  • Thai: ย้อย
  • Italian: malloppo, festone
  • Amharic: አራዳ
  • Dutch: swag
  • Catalan: sagar
  • Finnish: nyytti
  • Indonesian: barang curian
  • Japanese: みやげ品
  • Latvian: swag
  • Hungarian: menő
  • French: butin
  • Urdu: سوگ
  • Tamil: அங்கும் இங்கும் அசை
  • Kannada: ತೋಡು
  • Hebrew: הִתנוֹעֲעוּת
  • Turkish: yağma
  • Arabic: غنيمة
  • Slovak: mať štýl
  • Norwegian: Swag
  • Gujarati: સ્વેગ
  • Serbian: колебање
  • Chinese (PRC): 赃物
  • Czech: lup
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 贓物
  • Estonian: noos
  • Hindi: लूट
  • Portuguese (Portugal): Swag
  • Telugu: అక్రమార్జన
  • German: Beute
  • Spanish: estilo
  • Korean: 꽃잎 장식
  • Romanian: stil
  • Portuguese (Brazil): Swag
  • Slovenian: stil
  • Polish: łup
  • Bengali: চোরাই মাল
  • Greek: κλοπιμαία
  • Russian: раскачиваться
  • Malayalam: കൊള്ളമുതല്
  • Basque: pila

What Are Synonyms of the Word Swag?

Since swag is an informal slang term, it is not always appropriate to use this word. If you are going to be in a setting where using the word swag is not appropriate, you can opt to use one of the below synonyms of swag from Power Thesaurus instead. 

  • award
  • bag
  • boodle
  • booties
  • booty
  • bundle
  • butty
  • careen
  • contraband
  • curve
  • dangle
  • dirty money
  • droop
  • drooping
  • drop
  • festoon
  • flag
  • flagged
  • flagging
  • flags
  • gain
  • garland
  • goods
  • graft
  • hang
  • hang down
  • haul
  • hot goods
  • ill-gotten gains
  • keel
  • keeled
  • list
  • loot
  • lurch
  • money
  • pickings
  • pillage
  • plunder
  • prey
  • prize
  • prizes
  • reel
  • rock
  • rum-running
  • sag
  • sagging
  • slope
  • spoil
  • spoils
  • stagger
  • staggered
  • staggering
  • staggers
  • stealings
  • stolen goods
  • swing
  • take
  • takings
  • tilt
  • treasure
  • trophy
  • wealth

What Are Antonyms of the Word Swag?

Swag is a noun that refers to something that you gain or are gifted. To refer to a loss, you can use one of the below antonyms of swag from Power Thesaurus. Learning antonyms can help you further understand the definition of a certain word as well as expand your vocabulary.

  • bad luck
  • breakdown
  • burden
  • calamity
  • casualty
  • catastrophe
  • collapse
  • cost
  • damage
  • debacle
  • debit
  • debt
  • decline
  • decrease
  • defeat
  • deficiency
  • deficit
  • degradation
  • depletion
  • deprivation
  • destruction
  • detriment
  • diminution
  • disadvantage
  • disappearance
  • disappointment
  • disaster
  • distress
  • downfall
  • drop
  • fail
  • failing
  • failure
  • fall
  • forfeit
  • forfeiture
  • frustration
  • harm
  • hurt
  • impairment
  • injury
  • liability
  • lose
  • loser
  • losing
  • mischance
  • misery
  • misfortune
  • pain
  • passing
  • penalty
  • privation
  • reduction
  • ruin
  • sacrifice
  • setback
  • trouble
  • waste
  • weakness

Conclusion

The word swag is an informal slang noun that refers to promotional gifts or stolen money and goods. In the modern day, swag is usually used for the former. You can use the word swag in casual and informal settings, but it is inappropriate to use it in formal or professional ones (unless you have a really cool boss).

Sources:

  1. 975 Noun Synonyms for Loss | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Swag Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com 
  3. Swag synonyms – 884 Words and Phrases for Swag | Power Thesaurus 
  4. Swag | Nice Translator 
  5. Swag definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary