has-been

English

WOTD – 28 October 2010

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhæz.biːn/
• IPA^(key): /ˈhæz.bɪn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

has-been (plural has-beens)

1. (derogatory) 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?

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 (yīdù yǒumíng de rénwù), 過氣名人／过气名人, 过气名人 (guòqì míngrén)

• Czech: vyřízený člověk m
• Dutch: passe (nl) m
• Finnish: unohdettu suuruus, entinen kuuluisuus
• French: has-been (fr)
• Georgian: ყოფილი (q̇opili)
• German: ehemalige Größe f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: levitézlett, lecsúszott
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: has-been (pl) m
• Portuguese: ex-famoso m
• Russian: челове́к, потеря́вший былу́ю сла́ву (čelovék, poterjávšij bylúju slávu)
• Spanish: ha-sido m
• Swedish: föredetting c

See also

• never-was

Anagrams

• banshee, shabeen, shebean