Meaning of Wannabe | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Someone who wishes to be someone or do something, but lacks the qualifications or talent; an overeager amateur; an aspirant.
   attributive, derogatory, informal, often
2. Someone who wishes to be part of, or to assimilate to, a majority group of which they are not a member.
   derogatory, informal

Equivalents

Examples

“Hollywood's restaurants are full of wannabe actors waiting to be discovered.”

“Most of the people Hiro knows are will-bes or wannabes.”

“Who the hell is that woman messing in my files? GET HER OUT OF HERE! I won't have my system messed up by some wannabe "expert" who'll be gone next week! Damn strangers who think they know it all but don't care about what we're really trying to achieve here.”

“He had the reputation of a wannabe hardman, riding his cousin's coattails.”

“Bigger, mongrelly and black, he was clearly a Doberman wannabe.”

CEFR level