as in lover
literary
a person with whom someone is having a romantic or sexual relationship and especially a secret or improper relationship
Her husband found a love letter from her paramour.
Related Words
Relevance
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 paramour
Miller joined the cast of Summer House as a former paramour of Gulbranson, sparking the ire of housemate and future Giggly Squad co-host Hannah Berner.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Clark and Floyd had initially bonded over the show’s namesake app, a means for married people to meet discreet new partners; Floyd, too, had met up with potential paramours like Modern Love (Peter Sarsgaard), the online pseudonym of a local roller rink owner.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
During the course of the film, Grace deals with life, love (including a pair of paramours from the same band), professional disappointments, and the fallout of a horrible experience from her past.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2026
Far from a stereotypical homewrecker, Archie’s paramour (Lauren Tsai) is a blunt, hyper-logical scientist.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramour
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Clark and Floyd had initially bonded over the show’s namesake app, a means for married people to meet discreet new partners; Floyd, too, had met up with potential paramours like Modern Love (Peter Sarsgaard), the online pseudonym of a local roller rink owner.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
During the course of the film, Grace deals with life, love (including a pair of paramours from the same band), professional disappointments, and the fallout of a horrible experience from her past.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2026
Far from a stereotypical homewrecker, Archie’s paramour (Lauren Tsai) is a blunt, hyper-logical scientist.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramour
Noun
-
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.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
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.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
-
Some of the biggest Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fans are their boyfriends and husbands.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Pearce was arrested in February after an incident with former girlfriend Rickea Jackson and eventually charged with three felonies.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Prosecutors allege a 35-year-old man intentionally set fire to his former girlfriend's Cambridge, Minnesota, home while her husband, a Marine veteran, and his service dog were inside.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The filmmaker and gender equity advocate has helped shape her husband’s policies on issues like reproductive health, the male loneliness and mental health crisis, school nutrition, and regulating children’s access to social media.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
Hawkins, her husband and supporters spoke out about several of the incidents, including in emails and meetings with school officials.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2026
-
One group counts $25 million in support from OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, alongside $100 million tied to one of Silicon Valley’s biggest venture capital firms, which holds a large stake in OpenAI.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paramour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramour. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
