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
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
The hustling, athletic girl will forget the links and make sheep’s eyes at her amorous swain.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2022
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
The hustling, athletic girl will forget the links and make sheep’s eyes at her amorous swain.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
-
The same can be said about having a beer while watching your favorite movie, or watching your boyfriend look foolish while playing a video game, or dancing in your car in the middle of the day.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, had four catches for 39 yards.—
Ryan Gaydos,
Fox News,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The film has become an event, a must-see for movie lovers.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2025
-
For meat lovers, the hearty Rabo de Toro oxtail braised for 24 hours.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Bridget’s old on-again, off-again boss/beau Daniel Cleaver (played by the gloriously incorrigible Hugh Grant) drifts in and out of the story.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
-
In February 2024, Deutch shared a sweet Instagram carousel of photos with her beau in honor of his birthday.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
One legend tells of men drawing names at a Roman festival to determine their suitor for the year, wearing her name on their sleeve throughout the event.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
That October performance only attracted more suitors in free agency.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Kaling’s fellow Running Point creators include Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen.—
Justine Fisher,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The sell-off pressured fellow cybersecurity solutions provider CrowdStrike , which slipped 0.8%.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The officer repeatedly instructed the elderly man to drop the gun, and when backup officers arrived and issued the same command, the man continued to aim the weapon at them.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Broward Sheriff’s Officer homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a man in Pompano Beach early Sunday morning.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
18 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near swain
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share