has-been

WOTD – 28 October 2010    

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈhæz.bɛn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

has-been (plural has-beens)

1. (pejorative) A person, especially one formerly popular or influential, who continues in their field after their popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline.
   • 1986 (Jan 6), John Gantz, "Things Look Better in the Long View", InfoWorld, 7 (52) / 8 (1), page 19

     I think Apple Computer is a has-been.

   • 2009, William Shatner, Up Till Now: The Autobiography, page 338

     Is it better to never be than to be and eventually become a has-been?

Usage notes

• Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose prime is behind them.

Derived terms

• hasbian

Translations

person declining in popularity or effectiveness

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一度有名的人物 (cmn) (yīdù yǒumíng de rénwù), 過氣名人 (cmn), 过气名人 (cmn) (guòqì míngrén)

• Czech: vyřízený člověk (cs) m
• Dutch: passe (nl) m
• Finnish: unohdettu suuruus, entinen kuuluisuus
• French: has-been (fr)
• Georgian: ყოფილი (ka) (qop’ili)
• German: ehemalige Größe (de) f

• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: has-been (pl) m
• Portuguese: tem-sido (pt)
• Russian: человек (ru) (čelovek), потерявший (ru) (poterjavšij) былую (ru) (byluju) славу (ru) (slavu)
• Spanish: ha-sido (es) m
• Swedish: föredetting (sv) c

Anagrams

• banshee