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.

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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

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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

Etymology

Origin of would-be

1250–1300; Middle English (adj.)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

would-be

Artificial intelligence has found critical security flaws in a major programming language called PHP, with many websites taken offline Thursday as organisations worldwide scramble to fend off would-be hackers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Verbal jabs work a lot better if the would-be roaster has a sense of self- confidence, or at least the ability to fake it.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Artificial intelligence is also being used by bad actors for deepfake voice impersonations, more personalized “realistic” dialogue, and “data mashing” from various breaches to compile a hyperpersonalized profile of the would-be victim.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

But they are a blow for the would-be disruptors—including those seeking to help the climate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 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

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Related Words

• budding
• enterprising
• potential
• prospective

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