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
Relevance
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
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 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But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 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
He’s never outgrown the image of himself as the swain, the young lover.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 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
The old residents remember when San Luis Rey was the second locality in the county, and the feast of San Luis (26th August) was an important epoch, with it, carreras and bades, forming the chief topic of conversation with dusky swain and maiden for miles around.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2021
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
The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 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
He’s never outgrown the image of himself as the swain, the young lover.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 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
The old residents remember when San Luis Rey was the second locality in the county, and the feast of San Luis (26th August) was an important epoch, with it, carreras and bades, forming the chief topic of conversation with dusky swain and maiden for miles around.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
-
In the series, streaming July 10 on Netflix, Stalter plays Jessica, a 30-something who moves to London fresh off a life-altering breakup when her longtime boyfriend, Zev (Michael Zegen), leaves her for an influencer (Emily Ratajkowski).—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
-
Even Fitzgerald’s longtime boyfriend, Chef Tyler Anderson, is in on the helping.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms.—
Scott Talley,
Freep.com,
13 July 2025
-
Thomasville is full of Queen Anne and Victorian architecture and serves as a quiet weekend retreat for lovers of architecture, gardens, and good food.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
The songstress and entertainer shared her special news with her fans on Instagram by posting a beautiful photo of her and her beau, NBA star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
11 July 2025
-
In the closing minutes of the second episode, Jess (Megan Stalter), the brash American protagonist of Netflix’s Too Much, lies down with the mix CD her new British beau, Felix (Will Sharpe), has made for her.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Our three buddy heroes end almost every episode in a hug, while suitors circle the periphery.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
-
Being an All-Star last season gives him some name recognition, but most suitors are likely to see him as a complementary piece.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The islanders are typically eliminated on the Peacock dating show after their fellow cast members have a public vote, when they're left without a partner or from a fan vote.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
-
But Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports restricting immigration, argued that its better to invest in border infrastructure now than wait until another surge in crossings.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
The Wimbledon men's final between three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner and Alcaraz (a five-time Grand Slam champ) comes less than two months after Alcaraz stormed back from a huge deficit to win the French Open in five sets on June 8.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
-
In a post-Federer/Nadal era and with Novak Djokovic getting beat in straight sets by Sinner in back-to-back semifinals, this is the new showcase event in men’s tennis.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share