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

The extreme demand for these shows — driven even higher after two headline-making nights — meant huge crowds of would-be concertgoers outside the ballpark on Sunday evening. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026

View gallery - 7 images With its substantial size and lack of wheels or trailer, the Evergreen XL isn't a good fit for would-be nomads. — Adam Williams july 12, New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Calamos Global Dynamic Income might be drawing up another peak, which would give some would-be investors pause. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Exhibited for the first time outside of Sarajevo, the churning Socialist Realist homage invokes Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People in figuring partisans heroically overcoming their would-be Nazi aggressors. — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 July 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