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

The Iran war all but froze it, sending mortgage rates back up to 6.46% and pulling would-be buyers out of the market.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Once a key storage of wealth, home prices across the country have stagnated, dissuading would-be buyers from investing.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

There’s also a family restaurant that’s struggling and could really use the help of a talented would-be chef obsessed with Italian cuisine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

But would-be buyers remain nervous about the job market and reluctant to pay high home prices, so it could take more than a small drop in rates to bring them off the sidelines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

He refused to swear on it, and flat refused to study the esoteric texts, which he called “the consolation of would-be wizards cursed to live in a world without magic.”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• budding
• enterprising
• potential
• prospective