Definition of 'would-be'
Word Frequency
would-be in British English
adjective (prenominal)
noun
3. derogatory
a person who wants or professes to be something that he or she is not
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
would-be in American English
adjective
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 byHoughton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME (northern) walde beExamples of 'would-be' in a sentencewould-be
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In other languageswould-be
British English: would-be ADJECTIVE
You can use would-be to describe someone who wants or attempts to do a particular thing.
...a book that provides encouragement for would-be writers who cannot get their novel into print.
- American English: would-be
- Brazilian Portuguese: aspirante
- Chinese: 想要成为…的
- European Spanish: aspirante a
- French: en herbeN
- German: Möchtegern-
- Italian: aspirante
- Japanese: 志望の
- Korean: ~이 되려고 하는
- European Portuguese: aspirante
- Latin American Spanish: aspirante a
Nearby words ofwould-be
Source
Definition of would-be from theCollins English Dictionary
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