wannabe
[won-uh-bee, waw-nuh‐]
- one who aspires, often vainly, to emulate another's success or attain eminence in some area.
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Origin of wannabe
1980–85; derivative of (I) wanna be…
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
prospective, budding, potential, enterprising, contestant, applicant, candidate, competitor, hopeful, wannabe, postulant, striver, ambitious, eager, keen, promising, wishful, strivingExamples from the Web for wannabe
Contemporary Examples
Doane tweeted, “the film does make fun of Wannabe Berean unimaginative Christians who need to lighten up.”
Kirk Cameron Saves Christmas from Abominable Killjoys (Other Christians)Brandy Zadrozny
November 14, 2014
Mike Huckabee, the Fox News host and wannabe presidential contender, was governor of my home state, Arkansas, until 2007.
When the media show the hyper actions of these wannabe soldiers, public perception changes.
Wannabe senator Rick Weiland of South Dakota channels The Man in Black in a new campaign video.
At George Washington University, wannabe political peddlers can now study the much-maligned world of swaying and influencing.
wannabe
wannabee
- informal
- a person who desires to be, or be like, someone or something elsea group of Marilyn Monroe wannabes
- (as modifier)a wannabe film star
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Word Origin
C20: phonetic shortening of want to be
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for wannabe
n.
1981, originally American English surfer slang, from casual pronunciation of want to be; popularized c.1984 in reference to female fans of pop singer Madonna.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper