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Synonyms

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.

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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Ford, who escaped two would-be killers in less than one month, only narrowly lost the 1976 election despite running in the shadow of Watergate.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026

For years, nuclear power’s would-be revival has been more concept than reality, dominated by designs and climate pledges, but with little under construction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

They had a prime chance to score in the seventh, when Alex Freeland walked and Shohei Ohtani singled to put the would-be tying runs on base with two out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Having made an initial foray into Sharks' territory, Segun was fed by Olly Hartley before stepping back inside to leave would-be tacklers Gus Warr and Rob du Preez clutching at thin air.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The cheap Russian boots pinch her feet as she trudges, the last of a single file of would-be guerrillas, up the intolerably fragrant mountainside.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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.