wannabe
noun
wan·na·be
ˈwä-nə-ˌbē 
variants
or less commonly wannabee
1
: a person who wants or aspires to be someone or something else or who tries to look or act like someone else
2
: something (such as a company, city, or product) intended to rival another of its kind that has been successful
especially
: one for which hopes have failed or are likely to fail
Synonyms
Examples of wannabe in a Sentence
an entrepreneur who seems to have made his fortune mainly by giving how-to-get-rich lectures to entrepreneurial wannabes
Recent Examples on the Web
The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Despite the low bar, voters usually see through wannabes who won’t cut it, said Pat Royal, spokesman for the sheriffs’ group.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
Traveling together through middle America, the constantly-bickering duo induct a military wannabe, a mentally unstable mom, and a mysterious foreign hitchhiker into their cult.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
She’s judged wannabes on American Idol; she’s headlined the Super Bowl halftime show; she’s celebrated a king’s coronation.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wannabe 
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Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Despite the low bar, voters usually see through wannabes who won’t cut it, said Pat Royal, spokesman for the sheriffs’ group.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
Traveling together through middle America, the constantly-bickering duo induct a military wannabe, a mentally unstable mom, and a mysterious foreign hitchhiker into their cult.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
She’s judged wannabes on American Idol; she’s headlined the Super Bowl halftime show; she’s celebrated a king’s coronation.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wannabe
Dictionary Entries Near wannabe
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wannabe. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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