1
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion
a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
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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
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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
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Metro Boomin’s mother, Leslie Wayne, was killed by her boyfriend in a murder-suicide in 2022.Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 27 Nov. 2024
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Avery’s boyfriend, Cameron (Jon Rudnitsky), is some sort of nattering cryptcurrency bro.Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Here, a few suggestions for the art lovers on your list.Rima Suqi, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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After eight years of serving as a vibrant hub for coffee lovers, Irene’s will be closing on Nov. 24.Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Currently in domestic bliss with longtime beau A$AP Rocky and their two sons, RZA, 2, and Riot, 1, Riri has popped back into music for two major moments since the turn of the decade.Kyle Denis, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
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Megan Fox is pregnant and expecting a very emo baby with her on-and-off beau Machine Gun Kelly (or, sorry, mgk).Justin Curto, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Tran previously ended her engagement to Devin Strader following the conclusion of The Bachelorette and teased a reunion with one of her former suitors, fan-favorite Jonathon Johnson.Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
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The company’s founder, who is no longer with JetBlue himself, has even suggested that Spirit made a mistake not going with its previous suitor — Frontier Airlines.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Showrunner Quinta Brunson and her fellow scribes will be joining us for a discussion about doing great work in a great room.Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
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Nothing fazed them, from the medical students to her senior fellow.Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Following the historic political comeback by Trump — a man who won the 45th presidency, lost his first bid for reelection, was found guilty on felony charges in a hush money trial and faced two assassination attempts — here's how people around Louisville are feeling.Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 20 Nov. 2024
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Both men have at times drawn criticism from health experts for spreading misinformation.Maya Goldman, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Australia's best teams since that golden age - 2017 and 2023 - were gallant and stole victories but ultimately fell short.Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
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The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff.Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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