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Wannabe
01
a person who tries to be like someone else or adopts a style, status, or identity they are not
Slang
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Human
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
wannabes
What does "wannabe" mean in slang?
The term "wannabe" refers to a person who imitates or tries to adopt the style, behavior, status, or identity of someone else, often without actually having it. The structure is a contraction of "want to be," turned into a noun. It is informal and often mildly derogatory, used to criticize perceived inauthenticity or over-identification with a group, role, or persona.
Examples
He 's just a wannabe trying to copy his favorite rapper.
