1
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion
a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
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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
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Recent Examples of swain
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 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
He’s never outgrown the image of himself as the swain, the young lover.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth return for the fourth time as ace archer Everdeen and her pair of devoted swains, director Francis Lawrence is back for his third film, and screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong mark this as their second effort.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
The old residents remember when San Luis Rey was the second locality in the county, and the feast of San Luis (26th August) was an important epoch, with it, carreras and bades, forming the chief topic of conversation with dusky swain and maiden for miles around.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2021
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
The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 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
He’s never outgrown the image of himself as the swain, the young lover.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth return for the fourth time as ace archer Everdeen and her pair of devoted swains, director Francis Lawrence is back for his third film, and screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong mark this as their second effort.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
The old residents remember when San Luis Rey was the second locality in the county, and the feast of San Luis (26th August) was an important epoch, with it, carreras and bades, forming the chief topic of conversation with dusky swain and maiden for miles around.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
-
Even Fitzgerald’s longtime boyfriend, Chef Tyler Anderson, is in on the helping.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
-
In the series, streaming July 10 on Netflix, Stalter plays Jessica, a 30-something who moves to London fresh off a life-altering breakup when her longtime boyfriend, Zev (Michael Zegen), leaves her for an influencer (Emily Ratajkowski).—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
If Wrath of Khan is the gateway Star Trek film for sci-fi lovers, The Voyage Home is the gateway for everyone else.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
-
Budget-Friendly: With ticket prices starting at $10 and capping around $125, plus free events and discounts for families, students, and university faculty, the festival caters to everyone—culturally curious families, art lovers, and budget travelers alike.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Noun
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And on Sunday, Garner got some love from longtime beau Miller, who planted a kiss on the 13 Going on 30 actress following her final mile.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
23 June 2025
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The song includes a dig at ex-husband Offset and name-drops her new beau New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
There is no word yet on other casting picks, but the film will surely provide excellent roles for a variety of stars, including Marianne, and a trio of male suitors the sisters come to know, including Edward Ferrars, Colonel Brandon, and John Willoughby.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
25 June 2025
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If Bregman lands on the block, there will be no shortage of suitors who look to bring the star to their team for a World Series push.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The islanders are typically eliminated on the Peacock dating show after their fellow cast members have a public vote, when they're left without a partner or from a fan vote.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
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But Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports restricting immigration, argued that its better to invest in border infrastructure now than wait until another surge in crossings.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Six men were inside a 2018 GMC Sierra pickup truck at the time of the shooting.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
1 July 2025
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First there is change, which nobody likes—even men.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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