wannabe
noun
wan·na·be
ˈwä-nə-ˌbē 
variants
or less commonly wannabee
1
: a person who wants or aspires to be someone or something else or who tries to look or act like someone else
2
: something (such as a company, city, or product) intended to rival another of its kind that has been successful
especially
: one for which hopes have failed or are likely to fail
Synonyms
Examples of wannabe in a Sentence
an entrepreneur who seems to have made his fortune mainly by giving how-to-get-rich lectures to entrepreneurial wannabes
Recent Examples on the Web
The top secret agent of CONTROL is a role model for clumsy wannabe Steve Carell, though by the end, Agent 23 is the one throwing an explosive situation into total KAOS.
15.
—
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
The venue, a downtown Manhattan club on a side street thronged with everyone from movie stars to wannabes hoping to gain entry to the party that was still raging at 3 a.m., had been at capacity since midnight.
—Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Despite the low bar, voters usually see through wannabes who won’t cut it, said Pat Royal, spokesman for the sheriffs’ group.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wannabe 
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.
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
The venue, a downtown Manhattan club on a side street thronged with everyone from movie stars to wannabes hoping to gain entry to the party that was still raging at 3 a.m., had been at capacity since midnight.
—Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Despite the low bar, voters usually see through wannabes who won’t cut it, said Pat Royal, spokesman for the sheriffs’ group.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wannabe
Dictionary Entries Near wannabe
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wannabe. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share