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
  • The tired, the sick, the hungry, the famous and tons of ex-boyfriends, all regretting their wrongs.
    — Courtney Love, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As well as the two ur-bad boyfriends from HBO’s Girls Christopher Abbott and Adam Driver who will portray, respectively, Professor Charles Xavier and Nathaniel Milbury/Mister Sinister.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of boyfriends
Noun
  • Unfortunately for fans of the franchise, the beetle has come for an Owens this time, not one of their lovers.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For lovers of the first film, the sequel, arriving 28 years later, will go down like one of those midnight margaritas.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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
  • The injury was raised again during a frantic final 24 hours of the transfer window when Crystal Palace emerged as rival suitors for Fofana.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Zoie, a dynamic forward and at 5-9 taller than her 5-5 fraternal twin Kai, had a longer list of Division I, Power 4 college suitors than her sister.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of suitors
Noun
  • Jenkins said sextortion is another significant concern that can impact children with law enforcement seeing particularly serious impacts among teen boys.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • George is following in the footsteps of father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry, who also attended the boarding school for boys.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of boys
Noun
  • The fellows began their Master of Fine Arts filmmaking program at the AFI Conservatory in August.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For months, boisterous fellows at Angels Stadium peeled off their shirts and begged Moreno to sell.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fellows
Noun
  • The only men were the mayor, the three members of town council, the priest from the Catholic church, Father Michael, and the reverend from the Baptist church, as well as a man with a balding head and a full moustache, his suit pressed and clean.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The two men lined up with left winger Vasily Podkolzin at the captain’s practice on Wednesday.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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