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Synonyms

wannabe

American  
[won-uh-bee, waw-nuh‑] / ˈwɒn əˌbi, ˈwɔ nə‑ /
Sometimes wannabee

noun

Informal.

plural

wannabes

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

wannabe British  
/ 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
"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

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.

After the release of their chart-topping debut single Wannabe in 1996, "Spice mania" swept the planet.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2024

Dried "herbs and spices possess inherent crispness that gets damp inside a fridge," says Sunita Yousuf, creator of The Wannabe Cook.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2023

Switzerland Wannabe: Feelings can change for completely defensible reasons.

From Washington Post • Nov. 30, 2022

Playful displays up there collect a variety of books about “Women We Wish We Met — Some Real, Some Fictional” and Paris-set “Books for the Wannabe Francophiles.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 25, 2022

Horner posted old photos of the group and described "Wannabe" as "the song that changed the lives of five girls from Britain".

From Reuters • Jul. 8, 2021

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.