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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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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Rylee Arnold's boyfriend just got the ultimate stamp of approval.Julia Moore, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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Trending on Billboard The discussion of the song came just days after reports emerged that Carpenter and boyfriend actor Barry Keoghan have split after about a year of dating.Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The future outlook, unfortunately, is cloudy for lovers of the morning cup o’ Joe.Alicia Wallace, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
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While the 2024 Golden Vines pulled out all the stops for wine lovers who gathered from around the world, Miami is set to one-up one of the great wine weekends of the year.Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The blanket was a nod to Swift's Kansas City Chiefs star beau Travis Kelce, who did not join her on her hospital visit.Gil Macias, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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Here’s hoping that Teddy’s beau, Roy, moving to Brooklyn in the New Year will help facilitate that process.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Two individuals familiar with the company said multiple suitors have been in discussions to acquire Vine’s stake in VREG as a whole.Matt Donnelly, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
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Whether the Astros are even interested in acting as legitimate suitors is up for debate.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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These black panels completely cover all of the SUV's windows from the inside, blocking sunlight and the prying eyes of inquisitive fellow campers.Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2024
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Harry Halem is a senior fellow at Yorktown Institute, a U.S. foreign-affairs and military-policy think tank.Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The two men have been trying to get released through the First Step Act since 2021, only to have Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Edward Korman swat down their requests.John Annese, New York Daily News, 14 Dec. 2024
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Get Into the Holiday Spirit by Watching Mariah Carey Bake Christmas Cookies On the set of the Netflix series, there are men and women whose energy rivals that of the town’s patriarch.Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 14 Dec. 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 21 Dec. 2024.
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