would-be

American  

[wood-bee] / ˈwʊdˌbi /

adjective

1. wishing or pretending to be.

   a would-be wit.

2. intended to be.

   a would-be kindness.

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noun

1. a person who wishes or pretends to be something.

   Opera singers and would-bes should practice at least four hours a day.

would-be British  

adjective

1. derogatory wanting or professing to be

   a would-be politician

2. intended to be

   would-be generosity

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noun

1. derogatory a person who wants or professes to be something that he is not

2. the person to whom one is is engaged to be married; fiancé or fiancée

Etymology

Origin of would-be

1250–1300; Middle English (adj.)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

would-be

But there are always anomalies in even would-be wave years, and voters might think the Senate candidate is his brother is the stuff from which anomalies are made.

From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026

The combination of high home prices and elevated interest rates has put would-be home buyers in a bind.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

That begs the question of why they were performed, other than raw intimidation, deterring would-be whistleblowers, and punishing the disloyal.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

Now, would-be disrupter Light Helmets is writing a playbook that could upend the marketing of this rapidly evolving product.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

I go over to the would-be bartender, and before I even get the word out, she grabs an empty cup on the table and fills it.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• budding
• enterprising
• potential
• prospective