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wannabe

[ won-uh-bee, waw-nuh‐ ]

/ ˈwɒn əˌbi, ˈwɔ nə‐ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wannabe ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural wan·na·bes. Informal.

one who aspires, often vainly, to emulate another's success or attain eminence in some area.

Origin of wannabe

1980–85; derivative of ( I) wanna be…

Words nearby wannabe

wanker, wankie, wanksta, wanky, wanna, wannabe, wannabee, wanne-eickel, wannish, want, want ad

Example sentences from the Web for wannabe

Doane tweeted, “the film does make fun of Wannabe Berean unimaginative Christians who need to lighten up.”

Kirk Cameron Saves Christmas from Abominable Killjoys (Other Christians) |Brandy Zadrozny |November 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Mike Huckabee, the Fox News host and wannabe presidential contender, was governor of my home state, Arkansas, until 2007.

Arkansas’s Blue Collar Social Conservatives Don’t Know What’s Coming |Monica Potts |November 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
When the media show the hyper actions of these wannabe soldiers, public perception changes.

Ferguson Shows a Nation at War With Itself |Roland S. Martin |August 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
At George Washington University, wannabe political peddlers can now study the much-maligned world of swaying and influencing.

Earn Your Degree in… Lobbying? |Michelle Cottle |April 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

To the wannabe winners he gave business cards and fliers, dangling attractive security solutions for their would-be shops.

Weed Cops Blaze New Trail |Valerie Vande Panne |March 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for wannabe

wannabe

wannabee

/ (ˈwɒnəˌbiː) /

noun

informal

a person who desires to be, or be like, someone or something elsea group of Marilyn Monroe wannabes
(as modifier)a wannabe film star

Word Origin for wannabe

C20: phonetic shortening of want to be