wannabe

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wan·na·be

also wan·na·bee (wŏn′ə-bē′, wôn′-)Informal

1. One who aspires to a role or position.

2. One who imitates the behavior, customs, or dress of an admired person or group.

3. A product designed to imitate the qualities or characteristics of something.

adj.

Wishing or aspiring to be; would-be.

[Alteration of want to be.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

wannabe

(ˈwɒnəˌbiː) or

wannabee

informal

a. a person who desires to be, or be like, someone or something else: a group of Marilyn Monroe wannabes.

b. (as modifier): a wannabe film star.

[C20: phonetic shortening of want to be]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

wan•na•be

or wan•na•bee

(ˈwɒn əˌbi, ˈwɔ nə-)
n., pl. -bes or -bees. Informal.

1. one who aspires, often vainly, to emulate another's success or attain eminence in some area.

2. a product, company, etc., that copies another in order to achieve similar success.

[1980–85; derivative of (I) wanna be...]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

wannabe - an ambitious and aspiring young person; "a lofty aspirant"; "two executive hopefuls joined the firm"; "the audience was full of Madonna wannabes"

aspirant, aspirer, hopeful, wannabee

applicant, applier - a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission

Translations

Möchtegern

wannabe

[ˈwɒnəbiː]

A. N an Elvis wannabe → un imitador barato de Elvis

B. ADJ → amateur, aspirante

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

wannabe

wannabee [ˈwɒnəbiː] n → aspirant(e) m/f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

wannabe

(inf)

n → Möchtegern m (inf)

adj → Möchtegern- (inf); a wannabe film star → ein Möchtegern-Filmstar m (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

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References in periodicals archive ?

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