swains

noun

plural of swain
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

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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

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 swains 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swains
  1. boyfriends
  2. lovers
  3. beaux
  4. suitors
  5. boys
  6. fellows
  7. men
Noun
  • And, if so, what will happen to all those chatbot boyfriends?
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • People’s responses were also colored by everyone suddenly having lawyers and managers and agents, wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of boyfriends
Noun
  • For the aesthetes who have already seen the latest exhibition at MoMA, this weekend guide for design lovers is intended to point you in a few other directions (and no, this does not include that viral room full of dirt in SoHo).
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Midnight is full of clocks and mirrors, and Hall often structures songs and plot points around countdowns to midnight, when his lovers meet in secret.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovers
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
Definition of beaux
Noun
  • Thankfully, Brandon is one of Austen’s most introspective suitors, and Nordrum is not unlike the character in real life — thoughtful, gentle and a little self-effacing.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Nevertheless, their male relatives and their suitors have travelled far.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of suitors
Noun
  • Outside the old red-brick Victorian mansion, framed by palm trees, two teenage boys zip around the car park on unicycles.
    — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Told without the participation of a single male actor, The Women turned Hollywood’s all-boys club on its head, becoming a major hit in a year dominated by Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.
    — Raymond Ang, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of boys
Noun
  • During Thursday's protest, hundreds of resident physicians and fellows demanded negotiators return to the bargaining table.
    — Payton May, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This year’s edition will also run its fellowship program, with seven fellows mentored by Bhutanese director Dechen Roder and Indian independent filmmakers Umesh Kulkarni and Dominic Sangma.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of fellows
Noun
  • Coast is more formal, a fine-dining venue (no jeans, shorts, flip-flops, or sneakers allowed; jackets are preferred, though not required for men), serving three-, four-, and seven-course tasting menus, open for dinner only.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Fils-Aimé and Bukele had spoken by phone, the brief statement said, about deployment and operations to locate the missing men.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of men

Browse Nearby Words

swain
swains
swale
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Cite this Entry

“Swains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swains. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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