1
as in boyfriends
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 wooers
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swains
Noun
-
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 -
Heated Rivalry breakouts Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have parlayed their overnight fame into voiceover work for the audio erotica app Quinn, also home to dirty talk from internet boyfriends like Christopher Briney and Andrew Scott.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So are their girlfriends and wives, who support their beaus in stadiums and at home.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Despite some very not-so-subtle hints from yours truly, my past beaus have never gifted me a handbag on Valentine’s Day, either.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nature lovers with more time to explore may want to immerse themselves in the landscape by hiking, camping, and other outdoor pursuits, but others prefer to take in the beauty and timelessness in a more relaxed way.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
-
Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls).—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Mary Brown retired after coaching boys and girls volleyball in the district for 19 years, including the past eight years with the Knights’ boys team.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But despite his rugged defense, his injury history might limit his attractiveness to potential trade suitors.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Cohen may not have the firepower to pull this off, but does his interest put the name in play for larger suitors?—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Over eight weeks, the Epigraph Creator fellows will receive hands-on instruction and production resources, culminating in a public showcase of original work at Macro’s Summer House Creator Summit in Los Angeles this summer.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This week, the New York Public Library announced its fresh class of Cullman fellows.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both guides included a chart with ideal body weights for men and women and provided some guidance on how to safely lose weight.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There was evidence that the two men, who’d befriended Brettler weeks earlier, had assaulted him shortly before his death – though neither was charged by police, who concluded that the death was probably suicide.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Swains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swains. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
