wannabe
Americannoun
noun
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.
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
A wannabe cavalry unit, anchored in the center by an agent on a white horse, swept through a soccer field where children were attending day camp just minutes before.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Unless an unexpected candidate decides to take the plunge, and goodness knows what could happen these days, a change at the top doesn't seem likely to be prompted by the wannabe contenders.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
When Tomas Cvancara stretched his neck and planted a header on Craig Gordon's crossbar an hour into this exhilarating clash of the champions and the wannabe champions, a sense of shock swept around Tynecastle.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
“I mean. I’m just a wannabe cartoonist. What do I know.”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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.
