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
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Recent Examples of swain
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth return for the fourth time as ace archer Everdeen and her pair of devoted swains, director Francis Lawrence is back for his third film, and screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong mark this as their second effort.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
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
Kramer, once again showing infinite tact, dissuaded the swain.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023
Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth return for the fourth time as ace archer Everdeen and her pair of devoted swains, director Francis Lawrence is back for his third film, and screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong mark this as their second effort.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
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On September 5, the Friends actress was spotted enjoying a New York City date night with her boyfriend, Jim Cutis.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Both The Times and PIX11 report that Thomas is Mitchell's boyfriend.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Monteverde’s cloud forest is a haven for nature lovers, with canopy walks and wildlife encounters that will delight young and old alike.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Last March, Mariah The Scientist allegedly came to blows with Young Thug’s former lover, Cleopatra Dues, at an Atlanta lounge.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Travis Kelce’s podcast and later becoming engaged to her beau of two years.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Then Emily Simpson suggests a game to cheer up Shannon Storms Beador’s daughter Sophie, who came home from New York City for the weekend after being dumped by a beau.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Bachelor franchise has always stuck by a somewhat silly dogma—that despite the fact that its premise (one star dating 20-plus suitors) is ridiculous and inherently a little raunchy, the show is at its core a pure slice of an Americana fairy tale.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
10 Sep. 2025
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He’s also seen has a possible suitor for TikTok, although those plans have not come to fruition.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Nassau County police first received a description of the person who was fatally struck on the parkway and then received a call from Christopher's school roughly 15 minutes later about a missing boy, detective Tracey Cabey tells PEOPLE.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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Of course, telling her boys apart is easy for Ness.—
Jeff Truesdell,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement One policy area that may be a priority under Anutin, says Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow and acting coordinator of the Thailand Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, is cannabis regulation.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
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Richard Lorren Jolly is a senior fellow with the Civil Justice Research Initiative.—
Richard Lorren Jolly,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Authorities arrested a man shortly after a bullet hit Kirk, Mason said during the news conference.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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No man is worth missing Paris for.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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