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:
What we’re left with is a wannabe blockbuster shadowboxing with itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Here's the latest crop of wannabe star bakers.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
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
“I mean. I’m just a wannabe cartoonist. What do I know.”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
He now leads New York, “and there are wannabes all over the country,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 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
The company of performers assembled to perform this hoary property consists of has-beens, wannabes, klutzes and martyred veterans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025
Closer in, leaning against the fence with stoic faces was a mix of local coaches, involved fathers, skuzzy agent wannabes, scouts from prep schools and even colleges.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
