would-be
wishing or pretending to be: a would-be wit.
intended to be: a would-be kindness.
a person who wishes or pretends to be something: Opera singers and would-bes should practice at least four hours a day.
Origin of would-be
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use would-be in a sentence
July 17: A little upset by the episode of the wouldbe assassin, I decided to go up to London for the day.
Greener Than You Think | Ward MooreA big word that Mr. Wouldbe uses where Mr. Is uses the little word live.
The Verbalist | Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)Many criminals are acquitted who wouldbe convicted if the penalty were imprisonment.
Public Speaking | Clarence Stratton
British Dictionary definitions for would-be
usually derogatory wanting or professing to be: a would-be politician
intended to be: would-be generosity
derogatory a person who wants or professes to be something that he is not
Indian 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
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