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
-
The trouble reportedly started when some of the party attendees started arguing with each other about their boyfriends, witness Jeremiah Braxton told The Associated Press.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026 -
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
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
-
History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
In addition to being sun lovers, many of the species on this list are heat- and drought-tolerant.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
For Dua, puberty and social maturity become knotted up in unpredictable notions of bodily harm (whether acted upon, or merely threatened), as Serbian boys and men harass her on the way home from school, lacing their catcalls with ethnic slurs.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
There are two teenage boys in the film, Haruki (Waku Kawaguchi) and Keita (Kiyora Fuiwara), whose inchoate erotic feelings for one another, a love that can still barely say its name in provincial Japan, forms a subplot here.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
There won’t be a shortage of suitors, if Alvarez is made available.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Send the pitch to potential suitors, or consider raising your rates!—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The open call for fellows will begin this fall.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
-
For more information on this year’s fellows and projects, read on.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
In August 2025, Broward County Circuit Court Judge Marlon Weiss ruled on a case of two men living in France who petitioned for early parental rights while their gestational carrier was pregnant.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 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 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
