Would-be
//ˈwʊd biː// adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who aspires to something.
"The would-bes are very sure that the managers have it in for them; just as most young writers regard publishers as being in conspiracy against budding genius."
- 2 One's fiancé or fiancée. India
Adjective
- 1 Attempting or desiring something. not-comparable
"Would-be marines have to get through a rigorous examination."
- 2 Unfulfilled; frustrated in realizing a goal, ambition, etc. not-comparable
"Would-be film stars often become waitresses."
Adjective
- 1 unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition wordnet
Example
More examples"A would-be thief got a big surprise when a group of women chanting "Jesus" scared the intruder away from their commune."
Related phrases
More for "would-be"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.