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 — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
  • An ex-boyfriend, now platonic pal (Eric Lynch) at the (fictional) Chicago Herald offers her an assignment of profiling a Bears superfan, Darlene Donnelly (Marsha Mason).
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Jordan’s mother, after being killed by her boyfriend and stuffed in a duffel bag, had been funeralized at Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • Overton, however, claimed that both informants were lying — and that the semen found on the comforter was planted on the scene by a spurned ex-lover with connections to the police department.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Still, Kardashian will reportedly continue showing up for her new beau.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, Kardashian has been a big supporter of her beau’s career.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • Roan also adds an new verse to the song, slightly changing the lyrics to reference a mediocre female suitor alongside Rodrigo’s original lines.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Thankfully, Brandon is one of Austen’s most introspective suitors, and Nordrum is not unlike the character in real life — thoughtful, gentle and a little self-effacing.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of suitor
Noun
  • Linda Sanchez is the mother of the first-grade boy who hid under the table with his teacher.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The film ends in 1997 with a young African boy fleeing persecution into the same theater, drawing a parallel between past and present.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of boy
Noun
  • During Thursday's protest, hundreds of resident physicians and fellows demanded negotiators return to the bargaining table.
    — Payton May, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Simpson, whose daughter is in second grade, prepared extensively with her fellow-canvassers on how to discuss certain topics, such as Mamdani’s views on Israel and Palestine.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fellow
Noun
  • Russian authorities accused the Michigan man of signing a contract with Ukraine’s military in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
    — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The plight of his followers began to emerge in mid-March 2023, when a local man told police that his brother and wife had starved their children to death in the forest on Mackenzie's orders.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2026.

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