paramour

noun

Definition of paramournext
as in lover
literary a person with whom someone is having a romantic or sexual relationship and especially a secret or improper relationship Her husband found a love letter from her paramour.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paramour As the media narrative went, a 27-year-old gay serial killer named Andrew Cunanan had murdered five wealthy gay paramours, the last of whom was the fashion designer Gianni Versace. — Adam Turner, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026 Axel assumed responsibility for Chastity’s murder to protect his own paramour. — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 17 May 2026 And a lot of times that paramour did, in fact, cause monetary damage. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026 Over 13 days of testimony, the Summit County Attorney’s Office called more than 40 witnesses, including Eric Richins’ grieving family members, people who exchanged the illicit drugs said to have killed him, Kouri Richins’ paramour and a private investigator hired by the victim’s family. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for paramour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramour
  1. lover
  2. boyfriend
  3. girlfriend
  4. husband
  5. wife
Noun
  • Her daughter, who is an animal lover, has learned about marine creatures by scuba diving and going on submarine rides on their trips.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Overnight, the foundation became a staple among makeup artists and beauty lovers worldwide, thanks to its second-skin finish and lit-from-within glow.
    — Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • She was accompanied by her younger son, Kash, 14, and current boyfriend Kyle Mowitz, who is in asset management.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The editors then serve up a tasty treat of a bunch of photos with Emily smack dab in the center, and cycle through them more quickly than Jenn’s boyfriend Ryan cycles through loud denim jackets.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • After all, their eventual conversation about kids with Samir’s girlfriend takes place while Issa is peacefully tied up in a chair.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Now, with the dust of the last few years settling, Munn is recentering her focus on what brings her happiness, such as going back to work, hanging out with her close girlfriends, date nights with her husband, and all things fashion.
    — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of girlfriend
Noun
  • The grieving husband said Soto de Guzman wanted to take their son to Santo Domingo on Saturday and had already booked a flight, but the son was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Her husband of nearly 58 years, businessman Carl Dean, died at age 82 on March 3, 2025.
    — Deborah Wilker, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of husband
Noun
  • During their visit, the wife talked incessantly, sharing stories about their family members in great detail.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Naturally, with three more Salt Lake City wives at the Alter Ego Party, Gizelle is ready to further investigate why Lisa is in a battle with her whole cast.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of wife

Browse Nearby Words

paramounts
paramour
paramours
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paramour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramour. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All