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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 — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
  • After Carolina went to school, her boyfriend’s mom came and got the baby.
    — Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Jury lists were sealed for both the 2024 mistrial and 2025 retrial of Karen Read, who was ultimately acquitted of charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter after her boyfriend died.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • This year, there’s something for nearly every interest, from cheese lovers and bookworms to crafty adults and puzzle enthusiasts.
    — Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This is our introduction to He and She, two clownish, pugilistic lovers who are locked in a war of words, even as a literal war rages outside.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • 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
  • Ole Miss arrives off one of the most impactful wins in program history — a takedown of former coach Lane Kiffin and his new beau, LSU, in barn-burner fashion.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • She’s also lost in the memories of her heady youth, spent reclining in the sun and talking of politics and social concerns with various friends, lovers, and would-be suitors.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The action then jumps back four months to show the events the series portrays as leading up to the murders, beginning with Lizzie’s first meeting with a prospective suitor.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of suitor
Noun
  • In February 2025, Timpf welcomed her first child, a baby boy.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Lipnicki plays a character known only by the screen name of Crazyfrog73, someone who gets caught in a compromising position in the kitchen while hoping to hook up with a boy played by Gisondo.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of boy
Noun
  • Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy with the association, said he's heard numerous people tell lawmakers over the years how kratom has improved their lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Then, Miami must also contain outside receiving threats in Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Miami’s own Tyquan Thornton, plus Walker and fellow running back Emmett Johnson catching the ball out of the backfield.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of fellow
Noun
  • Thin partitions marked an early attempt to slice the space into smaller rooms, but the original brick walls remained bare, shivering with cobwebs, where someone had pasted a picture of a man, holy hands bracketing a redbrick heart.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • People arrested at these checkpoints have virtually no legal recourse and many young men have subsequently been forced into the military.
    — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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