Convince and sway refer to persuading a person to believe or do something. Convince, which shares a Latin root with “victor,” suggests using argument or evidence to win the assent of someone (Her recommendations convinced me she was right for the job). Sway suggests less definite means and ends. Someone has been swayed when their opinions or feelings shift or lean in the desired direction. Sometimes this is all that can be hoped for when trying to change public opinion—a frequent object of sway, as are juries, elections, and voters, especially undecided ones. Some common agents said to sway the masses are politicians, propaganda, and prejudice. But it can also be said that the presence of a laundry room can sway a couple to purchase a house. You never know what’s going to tip the scales.

Suspicious and leery describe a feeling of distrust or unease towards something or someone. If you are suspicious of the person parked in front of your house, you believe they’re up to no good despite there being no evidence of danger. Suspicious can also describe the object of our mistrust—a suspicious person or package, whereas leery applies only to people or their feelings or thoughts towards something. If you are leery of strangers, you are cautious, wary, or untrusting around them, and maybe avoid them, but you don’t necessarily attribute evil to them: your misgivings may stem from something else—maybe you are shy, or were taught not to trust strangers. A person can also be leery of entering into a particular activity or situation: He remained leery of boats; I am leery about walking home alone at night.

A meeting is an organized gathering of people for a specific purpose or agenda: a staff meeting; a town meeting. Meeting usually implies a scheduled assembly of the members or employees of a particular organization. Rendezvous, with the same form for the singular as the plural, can be much more intriguing than meetings. A rendezvous is when two or more people meet up at a place and time they have agreed upon. It’s similar to an appointment, but occurs outside the workday environment, and the word can connote a secret or romantic meeting: a rendezvous between spies; a rendezvous with a lover. But the word rendezvous is just as apt for a social meetup at a bar or reuniting with a group after splitting up to explore a museum. Half the point of a rendezvous is to return to each other.