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
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
As the two lovers, Robin Wright as the comely princess and Cary Elwes as her loving swain are engaging and appealing.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
As the two lovers, Robin Wright as the comely princess and Cary Elwes as her loving swain are engaging and appealing.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swain
Noun
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Her boyfriend, who had cuts to his arms and face, called 911, telling dispatch that someone had dropped a rock from the overpass.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
19 May 2026
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But the teaser trailer also zeroes in on what everyone will be tuning into see — Ciara Miller confronting her close friend and ex-boyfriend about their relationship scandal.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Noun
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This smokey, briney, california botanical martini is the dream cocktail for any olive lover.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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From limited-time giveaways to national brand collaborations, pickle lovers are getting plenty to celebrate this year.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Horror star Maika Monroe is with her beau Dalton Gomez.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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Win or lose, Paulina has always been a huge support system for her beau.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Harris will likely have multiple suitors around the league, in addition to the Pistons, this summer.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Garrett needs Hannah's help as a tutor and Hannah needs a fake suitor to catch the attention of her crush, Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston).—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Appearing on America's Newsroom, Crean Lutheran High School girls’ track and field athlete Olivia Viola addressed CIF's ongoing neglect of female athletes' calls to oust boys from competition, including AB Hernandez.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Set in 1962, a boy roughly Travolta’s age voyages from New York to Los Angeles on a series of hopping flights with his mother, who is hoping to land a rich husband or a good Hollywood role in that order.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Drake addresses Kendrick Lamar feud with fiery tracks The Grammy-winning rapper also used his latest musical project to reignite his feud with fellow emcee Kendrick Lamar.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Seeing a fellow free agent cut only a few days into rookie minicamp with the Raiders woke up Matsuzawa to the reality that although his place in the international pathway allows for a potentially longer stay on a roster, his spot in the ruthlessly competitive NFL isn’t guaranteed.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Here was a man who had conquered eight halls of fame, had traveled the world many times over, and nothing compared to his home.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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And with the loss, the Dodgers (29-19) fell half a game back of the Padres (29-18), after squandering two separate opportunities with speedy Hyeseong Kim standing on third base with two out, and stranding men on first and second in the ninth.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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