noun
wannabe
WO-nuh-bee
noun
1
Someone who aspires to be something, often without the talent or qualifications to match.
"The band was dismissed by critics as just another rock-star wannabe."
How to Use Wannabe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone trying to be or imitate something they aren't quite, often used dismissively.
When to use it
Informal and often slightly mocking.
Common pairings
a wannabe actor
wannabe gangster
Word Forms
wannabes plural
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Etymology
A written form of the reduced phrase "want to be," which became a fixture of pop culture slang after Madonna's "Wannabe"-style fan trend took off in the mid-1980s.