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 two played lovers on the award-winning HBO series, Driver’s character being quite the abusive onscreen boyfriend at times.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
For beach lovers looking to steer clear of crowds, Florida's Forgotten Coast is a welcome reprieve.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The trouble reportedly started when some of the party attendees started arguing with each other about their boyfriends, witness Jeremiah Braxton told The Associated Press.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
There was a bit of screaming by girls, but the boyfriends who went along wanted to listen to the band.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
She was widely known as one of Hugh Hefner’s main girlfriends from about 2001 to 2008.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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That extends to family and my wide circle of girlfriends, too.—
Jenny B. Fine,
Footwear News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The rumors about her and her previous husbands.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Across the manosphere, however, young people are told that before feminism ruined everything, women used to be cherished and pampered by their husbands.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
My heroine marries an elderly lord with three dead wives in exchange for her little sister’s dowry.—
Eloisa James,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
This new spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale follows Agnews (Chase Infiniti of One Battle After Another) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), young women at Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paramours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramours. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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