as in lovers
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.
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Recent Examples of paramours
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
Other unconfirmed paramours include A$AP Rocky, multiple NBA players, and, most recently, Bad Bunny.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The record is filled with sexy dance-pop bangers and finds Khalid — for the first time in his career — using he/him pronouns when discussing paramours in his lyrics.
—Jeff Nelson, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Once again, the Western canon’s most famous paramours have traded soliloquies for pointe shoes.
—Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Apr. 2023
Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
During the course of the film, Grace deals with life, love (including a pair of paramours from the same band), professional disappointments, and the fallout of a horrible experience from her past.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2026
Other unconfirmed paramours include A$AP Rocky, multiple NBA players, and, most recently, Bad Bunny.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The record is filled with sexy dance-pop bangers and finds Khalid — for the first time in his career — using he/him pronouns when discussing paramours in his lyrics.
—Jeff Nelson, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Once again, the Western canon’s most famous paramours have traded soliloquies for pointe shoes.
—Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramours
Noun
-
The mountain still erupts with theatrical force, and wines from the surrounding Etna DOC (a region often predicted to become Sicily’s second DOCG, the highest classification) attract wine lovers with their vibrant acidity and mineral edge.—
Layne Randolph,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The restaurant doesn’t let meat lovers suffer, offering a 24-ounce Tomahawk and a flaming filet flaming courtesy of tequila.—
Connie Ogle
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Husbands and boyfriends have been booking birthday celebrations and surprise date nights for their ladies.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
-
The black widow is not only the namesake of an Avenger, but used as a term for female serial killers that take out their husbands and boyfriends, as black widow spiders sometimes eat their male partners.—
Eva Flowe
May 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The few girlfriends of hers who did reach out to check on him stood out.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 May 2026
-
The Victoria's Secret model was photographed enjoying the warmer weather with her friends while taking a dip in the pool on board, posing for photos with her girlfriends and getting a tan.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
The New Country is no country for second husbands.—
Taiye Selasi,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
The family faced another painful choice Back with their mother, Majda’s daughters were terrified at any talk of going back to their husbands.—
Toqa Ezzidin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
At house parties, for instance, Nilsson would find the wives clustered in the kitchen while the men talked shop in another room.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The wives and girlfriends of the Golden Knights aren't just skating along with their partners.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paramours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramours. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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