has-been
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does has-been mean? Has-been is a negative term for a person who is considered to have lost or to be far removed from the success, popularity, or skill that they once had. Has-been is used as an insult. It’s most often applied to famous people, such as athletes and actors—to be called a has-been, a person has to have been known for having an outstanding quality. Another insulting term based on has-been is never-was, which is intended to suggest that a person was never known for having any outstanding qualities. It’s typically used in conjunction with has-been to insult someone in an even worse way, as in You’re not even a has-been—you’re a never-was! Another less-common term formed in the same way is could-have-been, referring to a person who never became successful but could have. This can be an insult or a compliment, depending on how it’s used. Example: I don’t need advice from some has-been—I want to learn from someone who’s been able to stay in the game.
Etymology
Origin of has-been
First recorded in 1600–10
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.
It's up to the player, manager, or has-been like myself to make a judgement call in the moment.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
“Not a star, just another has-been, lacing up his sneakers in an empty gym on a Wednesday night.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Colombian writer-director Simón Mesa Soto’s acutely observed Cannes-recognized “A Poet” lays bare that torment with the tale of a has-been writer for whom exquisite suffering has curdled into garden-variety middle-age failure.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
Among other things, he has called you a fraudster and a failed political has-been, but you’re not responding in kind.
From Slate • Oct. 15, 2025
I hadn’t attained that level of status in my career and at my age, I was already considered a has-been.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
