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

Relevance
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 — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
  • Ines De Ramon stepped onto the London red carpet in a sheer lace gown on Friday night accompanied by boyfriend Brad Pitt.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The woman’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, then placed Gonzalez in handcuffs, according to the statement.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • Art lovers should aim to be there in April when Joali hosts its annual Imagi-Nature Art Festival.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The undead hero initially turns agains the X-Men and serves Apocalypse, but Gambit’s lover Rogue is able to save him by harnessing the enormous power of a Celestial and offering to sacrifice herself.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • With a cast that included Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra, Saint played Emily, one of two teenagers who fall in love with one another and get married (Newman was the beau).
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The following month, Reinhart posted several sweet pictures of her new beau on her Instagram Stories in honor of his 25th birthday.
    — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • In the Odyssey, Penelope interprets a sneeze from her son, Telemachus, as a sign that her wish for Odysseus to return and punish her suitors would come true.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Hollywood giants spent much of early 2026 in a heated back-and-forth over who had a stronger offer on the table, with Warner leadership repeatedly backing Netflix as its preferred suitor.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of suitor
Noun
  • In the book, Cathy is essentially setting up two boys to get in trouble.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Keep it brief, clear and consistent There’s no room for ambiguity when teaching boys not to rape or assault girls.
    — Katie Hurley, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of boy
Noun
  • Felton speaks regularly with AWS customers, including fellow CFOs, and said their AI adoption is still uneven.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Robinson’s unique use of power even drew praise from teammate and fellow edge Josh Uche.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fellow
Noun
  • Federal prosecutors have accused a Cuban man living as a lawful permanent resident in Cass County of voting illegally.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The increase in online sports betting has worsened mental health problems in younger men, leading to more hospital visits as a result.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of man

Browse Nearby Words

swags
swain
swains
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All