swain

noun

ˈswān How to pronounce swain (audio)
Definition of swainnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Between the romantic fantasy of Anna and her two swains, the swoony Tuscan locales bathed in creamy golden light, and the tomatoes, You, Me & Tuscany delivers everything its title promises. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Apr. 2026 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 — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
  1. boyfriend
  2. lover
  3. beau
  4. suitor
  5. boy
  6. fellow
  7. man
Noun
  • When his first love—a sharp prosecutor named Go Eun-sae (Ha Young)—suffers amnesia following a sudden accident, Tae-ha claims to be her boyfriend to protect her from the dangerous crime syndicate pursuing her.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Clenney is accused of stabbing her boyfriend Christian Obumseli, 27, on April 3, 2022, inside One Paraiso, a condo complex located at 3100 NE Seventh Ave.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • For dessert, there’s a delicious coconut cake or, for the chocolate lovers, a fancy sort of s’mores cake.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • That Lane, an animal lover who excels at cracking open crazy stories with humor, heart, and a litany of perspectives, would follow Flaco is no surprise.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Olsen first teased his relationship with Dockerty in October, soft-launching his new beau by blurring out his face in photos on social media.
    — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Think beau sels oysters, salted fish croquettes, roasted swordfish and pizzas topped with lobster, tomatoes and stracciatella.
    — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • But the idea that really a violation of xenia, a violation of Zeus’ Law — which is what the suitors are doing in the palace — that really is the [breaking] of Zeus’ Law that is causing this difficulty and this damage.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Pitching for what turned out to be his last game in a San Francisco Giants uniform before Monday’s trade deadline, Robbie Ray made a strong case for prospective suitors.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of suitor
Noun
  • Kyiv's military administration said the strikes had killed nine people, and the city's mayor reported 27 people, including four children boys, were wounded and transported to hospital.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The scene also pays off a detail from Episode 7, when Max told Natalie he’d been baptized in the Cape Fear River as a boy but never learned to swim.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of boy
Noun
  • As inflation skyrockets in Iran, many civilians will feel the bite of poverty and hardship in the coming months, said Hadi Kahalzadeh, economist and non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute.
    — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Cal is a fellow of MacDowell and Yaddo, has been a writer in residence at Gladstone’s Library and at the Jan Michalski Foundation in Switzerland, and was named a 2022 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 31 July 2026
Definition of fellow
Noun
  • For men, the 181 Relaxed and 281 Baggy fits worn by Puth in the campaign capture the shift toward more relaxed silhouettes that consumers are embracing today.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • However, prison staff quickly intervened and separated both men, the outlet stated.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of man

Browse Nearby Words

swags
swain
swains
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Cite this Entry

“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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