paramour
par·a·mour/ˈpɛɹəˌmʊ(ə)ɹ/noun, verb
paramour is spelled P-A-R-A-M-O-U-R: 8 letters and 3 syllables (par·a·mour). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, paramour means “A person (especially someone who is not one's spouse) with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; also (Scotland, US, law), one with whom a…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of paramour is paramours.
How many letters and syllables are in paramour?
| Letters | 8: P-A-R-A-M-O-U-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: par·a·mour |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 62,179th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is paramour?
Paramour appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce paramour?
- UK /ˈpæɹəmʊə/
- UK /-mɔː/
- US /ˈpɛɹəˌmʊ(ə)ɹ/
Paramour has 3 syllables, split par·a·mour in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-paramour.wav, En-us-paramour.ogg, En-us-ne-paramour.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of paramour
- paramours plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- paramouring participle, present
- paramoured participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does paramour mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicA person who is the object of one's love, especially in an affair or romance; a lover; also, a sexual partner.
- 2
datedA person (especially someone who is not one's spouse) with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; also (Scotland, US, law), one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair.
to run away with a paramour
- 3
A woman who is the object of a knight's love, and who he fights for.
- 4
obsoleteGod as the object of a person's devotion or love.
verb
- 1
datedTo have an illicit or secret affair with a person, especially someone who is not one's spouse.
adverb
- 1
obsoleteOf loving, etc.: out of or through romantic feeling or sexual desire; passionately.
- 2
obsoleteUsed chiefly when addressing someone: out of or through devotion or kindness; as a favour or kindness.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Paramour in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married pe:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | amant, amante, maîtresse |
| German | Buhle, Geliebte, Geliebter, Liebhaber, Liebhaberin, Mätresse |
| Portuguese | amante |
| Spanish | amante, amor prohibido |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.