wannabe

English

Alternative forms

• wanna-be

Etymology

Written form of a reduction of want to be. Wannabe can be considered a conversion, category change, or functional shift.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

wannabe (plural wannabes)

1. (slang, derogatory, often attributive) Someone who wishes to be or do something, but lacks the qualifications or talent; an overeager amateur; an aspirant.

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

2. (slang, derogatory) Someone who wishes to be part of, or to assimilate to, a majority group of which they are not a member.
   • 2000, Bill Oddie, Gripping Yarns, page 126:

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

Synonyms

• tryhard

Coordinate terms

• bootlicker
• poseur
• suckup
• sellout

Derived terms

• wannabeism

 

Translations

someone who wishes something but lacks the qualifications

• Czech: rádoby (cs)
• Dutch: wannabe (nl) m
• French: wannabe (fr) m
• German: Möchtegern (de) m
• Hungarian: önjelölt

• Japanese: ワナビー (wanabī), ワナビ (wanabi), もどき (ja) (modoki)
• Norwegian: wannabe m
• Spanish: un quiero y no puedo, aspirante
• Swedish: wannabe (sv) c
• Turkish: özenti (tr)

See also

• would-be
• has-been
• -to-be