would-be
/ˈwʊd biː/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 6.16 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Unfulfilled; frustrated in realizing a goal, ambition, etc.
Example Sentences
- "Would-be marines have to get through a rigorous examination."
- "As Tarzan’s heavy hand fell upon his shoulder the priest dropped his victim, and turned upon her would-be rescuer."
- "Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases."
- "Sorokin, a would-be art collector, planned to open a members-only arts club but became known as the “Soho grifter” after her deception upon New York’s glitzy social scene came to light."
- "Would-be film stars often become waitresses."
- "It was not till the rays of the sun had absorbed the young stranger's retreating figure on the hill that she shook off her temporary sadness and answered her would-be partner in the affirmative."