would-be

adjective

ˈwu̇d-ˈbē 

: desiring, intending, professing, or having the potential to be

tips for would-be mothers and fathers

The conference, held over the Labor Day weekend, drew 1200 to 1300 writers and would-be writers to the Hawaiian island this year …

—John F. Baker

Possibly the most hilarious and outrageous character was Joey Tribbiani, a would-be actor who struggles to find success in his chosen profession …

—The Cheat Sheet

She's a clueless, would-be do-gooder without much self-awareness.

—Maureen Ryan

Examples of would-be in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who vouched for the former to get the would-be Wild Card start factored that into their argument. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026

Asbille plays a grieving woman injected with a paralytic drug who must then run, hide and fight her would-be killer before her body shuts down. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

The Tigers pulled to within a point with 23 seconds left in the game after Tre Nichols escaped a trio of would-be tacklers and lofted a 67-yard touchdown pass to Carter McElhany. — Erick Taylor, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

The latest data on home loan applications show that the upward trend in mortgage rates has given some would-be homebuyers reason to pause. — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

would-be

adjective

ˌwu̇d-ˌbē

: desiring, intending, or pretending to be

a would-be poet