would-be
Americanadjective
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wishing or pretending to be.
a would-be wit.
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intended to be.
a would-be kindness.
noun
adjective
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derogatory wanting or professing to be
a would-be politician
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intended to be
would-be generosity
noun
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derogatory a person who wants or professes to be something that he is not
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The property crisis drags on and home prices have stagnated, dissuading would-be buyers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
A reader came across a similar scam when a would-be buyer of his classic car asked him to cash a fake check.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Only today’s would-be homesteaders look to TikTok stars like Ballerina Farm’s Hannah Neeleman for inspiration or don Gunne Sax-style prairie dresses and call the look cottagecore.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
The South Korean government requires would-be investors in leveraged, single-firm ETFs, to take an eight-question exam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
It noted the would-be intruders, then flew off.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
