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 — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
  • Diqui LaPenta’s boyfriend Rich Guadagno was aboard Flight 93, the plane passengers managed to crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, before it could be used to hit Washington, DC.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • In 2023, Paul was arrested for throwing a metal chair at her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, while her children were in the room.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • And even aside from those two big festivals, music lovers have even more excellent choices for live music that week.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • First of all, nature lovers take heart, because this millennium-old tree was not cut down just to make some whiskey.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Sara Howe, a carriage driving trainer who often sees Louise and her beau at competitions, told Hello!
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Berry, who turns 60 on August 14, didn’t share any photos of her musician beau in Tuesday’s post.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 July 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • But the idea that really a violation of xenia, a violation of Zeus’ Law — which is what the suitors are doing in the palace — that really is the [breaking] of Zeus’ Law that is causing this difficulty and this damage.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Pitching for what turned out to be his last game in a San Francisco Giants uniform before Monday’s trade deadline, Robbie Ray made a strong case for prospective suitors.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of suitor
Noun
  • In June, Swedish authorities arrested a teenage boy who pledged allegiance to the Islamist State and idolized suicide bombers, according to Swedish media.
    — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The introspective movie centers on four classmates setting out to find the body of a boy who went missing in the woods.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of boy
Noun
  • Matt Koch, the lawns research fellow for gardening giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, met recently with the president to discuss planting new grass on the White House’s South Lawn.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Reshuffle in Google's C-suite Google announced a reshuffle of its AI divisions on Wednesday, with chief scientist Jeff Dean leaving after 27 years to start his own company, alongside Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of fellow
Noun
  • For men, the 181 Relaxed and 281 Baggy fits worn by Puth in the campaign capture the shift toward more relaxed silhouettes that consumers are embracing today.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • However, prison staff quickly intervened and separated both men, the outlet stated.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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