would-be Definition
would·-be (wo̵od′bē′)
adjective
- wishing or pretending to be a would-be expert
- intended, but failing, to be a would-be work of art
Etymology: ME (northern) walde be
would-be Synonyms
would-be Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- assassin: What cover does the area provide for would-be assassins?
- thief: Several years ago a would-be thief managed to open the box.
- proliferators: Musharraf's public pardon of Khan for his activities also does little to scare would-be proliferators.
- entrepreneur: Every week hundreds of would-be entrepreneurs meet their bank managers in the hope of getting a loan to start a business.
- suitor: Today, our would-be suitors would almost certainly have met online.
- robber: These would-be robbers held him in great dread; Outside the forest, scared to show a head.
Modifying Another Word
- particularly: Paul Gamble homes in on the advantages for youngsters â particularly would-be rugby players.
- even: They are not just employees of others - or even would-be cybernetic entrepreneurs.
- so: The aforementioned retaining bar also rotates so would-be thieves can't cut through it with a hacksaw.
Browse dictionary entries near would-be
- ‹ would
- ‹ Wotton, Sir Henry
- ‹ WOTS
- ‹ wot
- ‹ -worthy
- ‹ worthy
- ‹ worthwhile
- ‹ worthlessness
- ‹ worthless
- ‹ worth

