1
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion
a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
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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
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Recent Examples of swain
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But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
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But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
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The boyfriend didn't stick, but her love of flying endures.—
Rina Nakano,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Broadway's The Rocky Horror Show star Luke Evans and boyfriend Fran Tomas celebrate the show's opening night at an afterparty on April 23 in New York City.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some, like Chloe’s triad, are all lovers.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some Disney lovers worry the small back walkway near Country Bear Musical Jamboree, a longtime sit-down attraction, could close as Frontierland shifts toward the Piston Peak setting, the blogs reported.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When Passover arrives, her family wants to meet her beau.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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For his 28th birthday, Biles wrote her beau a sweet message on Instagram.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One peculiar feature of this ball is that the girls are each pulled into a side room to be interviewed by potential suitors over Microsoft Teams.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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But potential suitors in the media networks should not be.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Highlanders all-underclass boys team lost four tiebreakers in a heartbreaking 4-3 semifinal loss against Alonso Mourning of Miami.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mary Brown retired after coaching boys and girls volleyball in the district for 19 years, including the past eight years with the Knights’ boys team.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Founding the restaurant with husband and fellow chef Matt Conroy, Pascual is the follow-up to their French place in Georgetown, Lutece.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
24 Apr. 2026
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YoshimiO, sharing fellow ’90s icon Flea’s recent interest in the instrument, turns in a credible trumpet line during the track’s shuffling, exuberant second half.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The two men were too far away to be heard by reporters, and television cameras did not pick up the audio.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Despite his team’s steady slide in the standings, Flagg kept making history a year after leading Duke to the Final Four as just the fourth freshman to be named AP men’s basketball player of the year.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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