Synonyms of wannabe

wannabe

noun

ˈwä-nə-ˌbē 

variants also wannabee

as in follower

a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way

an entrepreneur who seems to have made his fortune mainly by giving how-to-get-rich lectures to entrepreneurial wannabes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• follower
• imitator
• echo
• copycat
• rubber stamp
• parrot
• copyist
• aper
• impersonator
• ape
• impressionist
• emulator
• mimic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wannabe

The idea that Bessette was some sort of wannabe was anathema for Hines. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 10 June 2026

Can Phillies fans and wannabe Nola buy-lowers take heart in the improving Stuff+ numbers? — Eno Sarris, New York Times, 9 June 2026

And they’ve been worn by working cowboys and just about every Western wannabe in the country. — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026

Especially early in its career, Hum was dreadfully misclassified as just another soft-to-loud/Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana wannabe, and remained criminally under-appreciated for its heavy/stoner-friendly Midwestern shoegaze vibes long after its breakup. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 16 May 2026