wannabe
Americannoun
-
wannabes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wannabe
First recorded in 1980–85; derivative of (I) wanna be…
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And Thatcher’s other film roles in 2023’s “The Boogeyman” and a bit part in the following year’s “MaXXXine” certainly don’t help Hollywood’s perception of her as a wannabe scream queen.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
His wannabe Robocops launch indiscriminate raids, operate detention facilities under conditions out of a Dickens novel and regularly don face masks to hide their identities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The two-cap striker - who last played for Scotland in 2022 - has the play-off final to look forward to where he will come up against a fellow World Cup wannabe in Oli McBurnie.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
A new generation of modern travel agencies is making it easy for wannabe advisers to set up shop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
“What kind of helpful information would be in books about a wannabe Chosen One who clams up when it’s time to stop the bad guy?”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
At gone 22:00 BST on Monday night, there was still a minibus full of ministerial wannabes inside Downing Street waiting for their new positions to be confirmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
He now leads New York, “and there are wannabes all over the country,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The distinction paid off with pros and wannabes alike, and by the time Quiksilver launched Roxy with Kasparian in 1990, they were a cultural juggernaut.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Others, like the Elvis impersonators roaming the streets, were wannabes, eager to tap into the mass tort gold mine.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026
“And that’s what separates the wannabes from the agents in the end. Quinton didn’t nominate ye ’cause he needed a rescuer, he nominated ye because he believed ye can thrive here.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
