noun
paramour
PA-ruh-moor
noun
1
A lover, especially one involved in a secret or illicit romantic or sexual relationship.
"Rumours swirled about the countess and her secret paramour."
"The novel follows a married woman and her paramour who meet only at night."
How to Use Paramour
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA romantic or sexual partner, usually one kept secret because the relationship is an affair.
When to use it
A literary, slightly old-fashioned word — most people today would just say "lover" or "affair partner."
Common pairings
secret paramour
take a paramour
Word Forms
paramoured past tense, paramours plural, paramours singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “paramour”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Rumours swirled about the countess and her secret _____.
Etymology
From Old French par amour, "by/through love" — originally an adverbial phrase meaning "passionately" that was later reinterpreted as a noun meaning "beloved person."