would-be
Americanadjective
-
wishing or pretending to be.
a would-be wit.
-
intended to be.
a would-be kindness.
noun
adjective
-
derogatory wanting or professing to be
a would-be politician
-
intended to be
would-be generosity
noun
-
derogatory a person who wants or professes to be something that he is not
-
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.
There’s a lot riding on whether the EV can win over would-be buyers.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
“Of course it’s the lawyer for the city, but what people don’t realize is it’s also the lawyer for the people,” she said to one would-be voter in Silver Lake.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
That’s where would-be retirees’ blood pressure goes up.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Speaking to a BBC translator who pretended to be an interested would-be customer, Jaf quoted a price of £160,000 to bring a whole family to the UK on a "VIP" flight service to Manchester.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Soon Valerian, my would-be murderer, might be dancing in the garden.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
