wannabee

IPA/wˈɒnɐbˌiː/
KK[wˈɑnəbˌi]IPA/wˈɑːnəbˌiː/

wannabee — noun

1. a person who copies the appearance, behaviour, or interests of a famous person o

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who copies the appearance, behaviour, or interests of a famous person or a particular type of person because they want to be like them — this word is informal and often suggests that other people do not respect or take that person seriously

Example

Theo's girlfriend is a Hollywood wannabee — she wears sunglasses indoors and talks about an 'agent'.

noun modifier: Hollywood wannabee

The art school was full of wannabees who copied every brushstroke of their favourite painters.

wannabee + who clause describing imitative behaviour

Common collocations
  • Hollywood wannabee
  • rock-star wannabee
  • musician wannabee
  • actor wannabee
  • full of wannabees
  • wannabee artist
Synonyms
  • aspirant

    more formal and neutral; lacks the disapproving tone of 'wannabee'

  • copycat

    focuses on the act of copying rather than the desire to belong; often used by children

  • poser

    British slang for someone who pretends to be part of a group or scene without genuine interest

Grammar Patterns

[noun] + wannabee

wannabee + who/that clause

Usage Note

This word is informal and often shows disapproval or mild mockery. The spelling 'wannabe' (without the extra 'e') is more common in modern English, but 'wannabee' appears as a variant. It is frequently used with a preceding noun that names the identity the person is trying to copy (e.g. 'rock-star wannabee', 'actor wannabee').

Common Mistakes

She is a wannabee to be a singer.
She is a singer wannabee.
'wannabee' usually comes after the thing the person wants to be, not before it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone trying to be something they are not, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Aspirant' is the most neutral and formal — it describes someone working seriously toward a goal (a political aspirant) without any suggestion of insincerity. 'Copycat' focuses narrowly on the act of imitating another person's actions or style, and is commonly used among children; it carries less social judgment than 'wannabee'. 'Poser' (chiefly British slang) refers specifically to someone who adopts the clothes, language, and habits of a subculture (punk, goth, skater, etc.) without genuine involvement. 'Pretender' suggests someone falsely claiming a title, position, or skill (a pretender to the throne). 'Wannabee' is broader than all of these — it can cover anyone from a Hollywood hopeful copying celebrity style to a musician mimic in a local café, always with the speaker's implicit judgment that the person is not the real thing. For example: a young guitarist copying a famous singer's hairstyle and stage moves is a wannabee; a musician working hard on original songs is an aspirant.

aspirant ↗copycat ↗poserpretender

Etymology

English (colloquial contraction)American English

'Wannabee' (also spelled 'wannabe') is a shortening of the spoken phrase 'wanna be', itself a casual contraction of 'want to be'. The word emerged in American English during the 1980s, originally used in pop-culture contexts to describe people who desperately wanted the lifestyle or appearance of rock stars, film stars, or other celebrities. The double-'e' spelling (wannabee) is a phonetic extension that occasionally appears but is less common than 'wannabe'.