would-be
Americanadjective
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wishing or pretending to be.
a would-be wit.
-
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
-
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.
A general estimate, though, is that would-be homebuyers would be limited to houses costing between $1 million and $1.5 million and the homes, more importantly, would need to be new construction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
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
Gulf oil producers like Saudi Arabia are struggling, because they can’t physically get their exports to would-be buyers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
The new A24 crime thriller depicts the show's host, NBC journalist Chris Hansen, carrying out sting operations on would-be predators.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
How do you, another would-be user, then design something similar for your own use, knowing that other people have already got their own model built and working?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
