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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
singular
not gender specific
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.
