swain

noun

ˈswān How to pronounce swain (audio)
Synonyms of swainnext
1
: rustic, peasant
specifically : shepherd
2
: a male admirer or suitor
swainish
ˈswā-nish How to pronounce swain (audio)
adjective
swainishness noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of swain in a Sentence

a fair maiden and her swain a romanticized portrait of a bygone era of beauteous Southern belles and their gallant swains
Recent Examples on the Web 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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English swein boy, servant, from Old Norse sveinn; akin to Old English swān swain, Latin suus one's own — more at suicide

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swain was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swain

Swahili

swain

swainling

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Swain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swain. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.

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Kids Definition

swain

noun
ˈswān How to pronounce swain (audio)
1
: rustic entry 2
especially : shepherd entry 1 sense 1
2
: a male admirer or lover
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