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 number of times a would-be driver can swap a test date has also been restricted.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Another lawyer, Emmanuel Daoud, expressed hope that the three-week trial would be an opportunity to see would-be migrants not as "statistics or commodities, but human beings in search of a better life."
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
But, as all would-be John Stewarts and Olivia Popes know, it’s also preparation.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
That’s just about the kindest thing the congressman has had to say about his would-be successor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Sometimes what appears to be a leaf or stick in the rain forest is really an insect, fooling a would-be predator by blending in with its surroundings.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
