1
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion
a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in lover
a man who courts a woman usually with the goal of marrying her
Grandma claims that she had several swains pursuing her, but it was only Grandpa who won her heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swain
Justyn Gonzalez and Alexandra Young share enjoyable comedy charm as a fumbling swain and the snappy-retorting object of his affections.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
12 May 2026
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Nov. 2025
As the two lovers, Robin Wright as the comely princess and Cary Elwes as her loving swain are engaging and appealing.
—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Science emerges as a version of the pastoral, with the physicist as swain.
—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2024
Odette is a shape-shifter, from woman to swan, under sorcerer Rothbart’s spell, only to be broken when a swain pledges true love to her—Siegfried to the rescue.
—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2024
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
12 May 2026
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Nov. 2025
As the two lovers, Robin Wright as the comely princess and Cary Elwes as her loving swain are engaging and appealing.
—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Science emerges as a version of the pastoral, with the physicist as swain.
—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2024
Odette is a shape-shifter, from woman to swan, under sorcerer Rothbart’s spell, only to be broken when a swain pledges true love to her—Siegfried to the rescue.
—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
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The crash that killed Shirilla's boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, as well as the resulting trial that ended in her conviction, are explored in the recent documentary, The Crash.
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Their drama is already stale, and between Nathan’s touchiness and Joe’s mistreatment of women, their fight over who is a better guy, a better seaman, a better worker, a better boyfriend is disengaging at best and aggravating at worst.
Noun
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Itineraries guide food-lovers to Breyðvirkið, the Faroe Islands’ sole artisanal sourdough bakery, renowned for its exceptional coffee and its ‘BMO’ (bolle med ost), a classic Scandinavian breakfast of a fresh sourdough bun with butter and cheese.
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These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.
Noun
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In addition to a potential new beau, Randolph wants Ainsley to find herself in season 3.
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At the top of her list is a new beau.
Noun
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With the divorce rate approaching 50 percent, a prenup is essential for wealthy suitors.
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Odysseus also gives the order to kill twelve young house slaves who have been sleeping with the suitors.
Noun
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The menu at the midtown location paid homage to many of the customer favorites from the original Mother, such as the mushroom po’ boy, nut burger and chile verde, but Venditti always puts his own spin on them.
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Three boys turned a Waymo ride into a wind-in-their-hair joyride late Friday afternoon in Santa Monica.
Noun
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Clifford Winston, a senior fellow in the Brookings Institution’s Economic Studies program, says the summer travel season is typically always one of higher demand, and that hasn’t changed, despite the elevated prices due to the fallout of the Iran war.
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Bjorn Lomborg is president of the Copenhagen Consensus and a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Noun
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Suarez, the Braves’ setup man, and arguably the team’s top offseason acquisition, was an All-Star closer for the Padres the past two seasons.
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Nationally, women receive an average of $1,760 monthly in Social Security, $438 less than the $2,198 men receive on average.
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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