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
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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But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.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
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
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Her niece’s boyfriend, twenty-two-year-old Jacob Miranda, had also died there, of a fentanyl overdose.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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Chelsea, of course, met a sad fate along with her much-older boyfriend, Rick (Walton Goggins) in The White Lotus Season 3 finale a week ago.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Beverly ends up doing something he’s not done before — falling deeply for one of their patients/lovers, actress Claire (Geneviève Bujold).—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Cascada’s rendition replaces Reilly’s yearning with decidedly more bombast, but the ecstatic feeling of connecting with a lover – whether on an elevator, dancefloor or basketball court – remains at the center.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Jealous of Kate’s new beau, Bill (Glenn Ford), Pat steals him away, marrying him.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Sherman, as the only nonpolitical character in the sketch, was paired with Jon Hamm playing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but dressed like Walton Goggins' Rick, the beau of Wood's Chelsea on season 3 of the drama series.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Allen Good Director of equity research at Morningstar Quilter Cheviot’s Carulli named Chevron as a potential suitor for BP, particularly if the U.S. energy giant’s pursuit of Hess falls through.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2025
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Lawrence gets a promotion, Rita a reunion, and Serena a suitor.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There had been little pushback from regional powers such as Australia and New Zealand, said Cleo Paskal, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C., who testified to Congress this year on U.S. national interests in the Pacific.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Founded by astrophysicist Garik Israelian and Sir Brian May, Queen's guitarist and fellow astrophysicist, STARMUS remains a powerful intersection of art, science and space.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Their names appeared on a list of more than 200 Venezuelan men held in the notorious prison, which is how their family found them.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram 817-390-7760 Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swain. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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