: desiring, intending, professing, or having the potential to be
tips for would-be mothers and fathers
The conference, held over the Labor Day weekend, drew 1200 to 1300 writers and would-be writers to the Hawaiian island this year …John F. Baker
Possibly the most hilarious and outrageous character was Joey Tribbiani, a would-be actor who struggles to find success in his chosen profession …The Cheat Sheet
She's a clueless, would-be do-gooder without much self-awareness.Maureen Ryan

Examples of would-be in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Marbles, kerosene, a nail gun, and more semi-common household items rain hell upon would-be thieves Marv and Harry across rewatches every December in scenes that inexplicably don’t kill them. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Dec. 2024 High prices could scare off would-be investors, but momentum abounds. Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024 Deputies encountered the would-be 12-year-old during a traffic stop Dec. 18. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024 Some true democracies are teetering because of brilliant would-be authoritarians tapping into humanity's worst instincts, like Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for would-be 

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of would-be was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near would-be

Cite this Entry

“Would-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would-be. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

would-be

adjective
ˌwu̇d-ˌbē
: desiring, intending, or pretending to be
a would-be poet
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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