wannabe

[ won-uh-bee, waw-nuh‑ ]

noun

, Informal.

, plural wan·na·bes.

1. one who aspires, often vainly, to emulate another's success or attain eminence in some area.

wannabe

/ ˈwɒnəˌbiː /

noun

1. informal.
   1. a person who desires to be, or be like, someone or something else

      a group of Marilyn Monroe wannabes

   2. ( as modifier )

      a wannabe film star

Word History and Origins

Origin of wannabe¹

First recorded in 1980–85; derivative of (I) wanna be…

Word History and Origins

Origin of wannabe¹

C20: phonetic shortening of want to be

Example Sentences

California's gubernatorial recall election has become a casting call for wannabes seeking a giant earned-media opportunity.

From Axios

Meanwhile, Khazein allegedly researched routes the wannabe kidnappers could take from her Brooklyn home to the water to Venezuela and from there to Tehran.

From The Daily Beast

Unrated during the pandemicKnots of wannabe diners clog the entrance of what sounds like a nightclub but looks like the feedery it is, what with a big circular bar and servers crisscrossing the expanse with trays of food and not a little drama.

From Washington Post

With that, Franklin became not only a “flee,” but a wannabe cop killer, transformed by a radio call that described him as trying to hit an officer.

From Time

He began shooting back-roads Alabama — notably signs and buildings — with a Brownie in 1958, the same year Andy Warhol first trained his Polaroid on New York celebs and wannabe “superstars.”

From Washington Post

What this essentially means is that superman-wannabe white people do not see my people as their equal.

From The Daily Beast

Doane tweeted, “the film does make fun of Wannabe Berean unimaginative Christians who need to lighten up.”

From The Daily Beast

Mike Huckabee, the Fox News host and wannabe presidential contender, was governor of my home state, Arkansas, until 2007.

From The Daily Beast

He was just another wannabe messiah who ended up on the wrong side of the authorities.

From The Daily Beast

When the media show the hyper actions of these wannabe soldiers, public perception changes.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• applicant
• candidate
• contestant