Advertisement
Advertisement
would-be
[ wood-bee ]
adjective
- wishing or pretending to be:
a would-be wit.
- intended to be:
a would-be kindness.
noun
- a person who wishes or pretends to be something:
Opera singers and would-bes should practice at least four hours a day.
would-be
adjective
- derogatory.wanting or professing to be
a would-be politician
- intended to be
would-be generosity
noun
- 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
Word History and Origins
Origin of would-be1
Example Sentences
But the current pontiff, for reasons one might fully understand, declined to meet the would-be papal assassin.
The would-be pope killer loves to be in front of the cameras, and the press in Italy is happy to oblige.
Siding with Obama on anything, no matter how sensical, is a risky move for a would-be Republican presidential candidate.
First, there are plenty of would-be gurus out there, especially in India.
This Tuesday, a bunch of vampires and would-be superheroes will knock on our doors and ask us to reward them.
Everything showed a rapid flight; even the would-be dinner of the guerrillas was found half cooked.
While a one-step was in full swing some would-be wag suddenly turned off all the lights.
He is a stranger to affectation—that dangerous rock to the would-be wit; he is natural, and is witty without trying to be a wit.
He flattered himself that by timely suggestion he had stumped at least half a dozen would-be candidates for Mildreds hand.
"This is the blankest, rummiest blank go ever I was in," muttered the would-be iconoclast.
Advertisement
Related Words
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse