has-been

[ haz-bin ]

noun

1. a person or thing that is no longer effective, successful, popular, etc.

has-been

noun

1. informal.
   a person or thing that is no longer popular, successful, effective, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of has-been¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

The actor is also known for playing a meta-version of himself in “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23,” where he’s a smarmy has-been nicknamed “The Beek From the Creek.”

From Los Angeles Times

He depicted Trump as a has-been, his shtick grown old, and the annoying neighbor who constantly keeps his leaf blower running.

From Los Angeles Times

First, has-been Korean American writer Soon Sheen now works for GLOAT, which uses algorithms to extract every last iota of information from customers.

From Scientific American

She descended into drug and alcohol abuse and, by 14, she was in rehab, considered a has-been in the industry.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, Plunket is relishing his new status as a former has-been.

From New York Times

Related Words

• also-ran
• underdog

More About Has Been

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.

Where does has-been come from?

The first records of the term has-been in its current sense come from the 1700s. (Earlier uses of the word are now obsolete.) Turning a verb phrase into a noun in this way is somewhat uncommon in English, but there are at least a few similar terms, like the haves and the have-nots. Another word that turns a verb phrase into an insulting term for a person based on their past and present is sellout.

Has-been packs a lot of insult power into just two simple words. It implies that someone was once at the top of their game—they were successful and popular. But it very cruelly claims that is no longer the case. This is done to indicate that the person is no longer relevant or important or that other people are simply better at what they used to be good at.

Has-been is often used in negative criticism of (often aging) celebrities or famous athletes who are supposedly past the prime of their career. Such people are sometimes also negatively described as washed-up or yesterday’s news. The term is sometimes applied to non-famous people as long as they were at least somewhat well-known for having some positive quality.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to has-been?

• has-beens (plural)

What are some synonyms for has-been?

• washout

What are some words that share a root or word element with has-been? 

• has
• been
• been had

What are some words that often get used in discussing has-been?

• washed-up
• past one’s prime
• aging
• done
• over
• actor
• athlete
• star

How is has-been used in real life?

Has-been is always used in a negative way as an insult, even when people apply it to themselves.

They could bring in Kristin Chenoweth and some has-been Broadway director to force us to rehearse and produce the musical in 2 weeks. It would be high drama because we’d all be still be on-call during the production. Trying to teach career firefighters choreography. Sells itself.

— Melanie (@melanieannecole) May 24, 2020

When it comes to income the way down feels a lot worse than the way up felt good.

Sometimes it’s not better to be a has-been than a never-was.

— Jayson Gould (@lordevinj) May 22, 2020

@andrewlowe it's official i'm a has-been

— tyler oakley (@tyleroakley) February 11, 2016

 

 

Try using has-been!

Is has-been used correctly in the following sentence?

The critic called the singer a has-been who hasn’t had a hit song in 20 years.