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
Soon after, wannabe authoritarians attack the comedians, essayists, playwrights and poets.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Which is without question why the prime minister was very keen in our interview to erect the highest bar he could to any wannabe successors triggering a leadership contest.
From BBC ● Jun. 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
But now, standing before the General, Thorn looked like a silly wannabe soldier.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
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
Local clubs had not been geared up for the sudden rush of Jonny Wilkinson wannabes that descended on them after his drop-kick landed World Cup glory.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025
All these wannabes killing themselves, running around hanging the lamest posters and FB-ing everybody with Like me requests, and Castro wins without even being on the ballot, as a write-in.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
