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.
He accused Meta of "maximising the punishment" as a warning to any other would-be Meta whistleblowers.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Rising energy prices stemming from the three-month-old war with Iran have posed a new challenge for drivers, businesses and would-be homebuyers.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Sterling had assumed that Spurs staffers would handle the vetting of would-be Jackals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
There’s a lot riding on whether the EV can win over would-be buyers.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
They would gather together, without husbands, would-be husbands, or bring-home work.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
