would-be

would-be
/wood"bee'/, adj.
1. wishing or pretending to be: a would-be wit.
2. intended to be: a would-be kindness.
n.
3. a person who wishes or pretends to be something: Opera singers and would-bes should practice at least four hours a day.
[1250-1300; ME (adj.)]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • would — [ wud ] modal verb *** Would is usually followed by an infinitive without to : A picnic would be nice. Sometimes it is used without a following infinitive: They didn t do as much as they said they would. In conversation and informal writing,… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • would — W1S1 [wud] modal v negative short form wouldn t ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(past intentions/expectations)¦ 2¦(imagined situations)¦ 3¦(past habits)¦ 4¦(requesting)¦ 5¦(offering/inviting)¦ 6¦(what somebody wants)¦ 7¦(past purpose)¦ 8 would not …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • would — [wood] v.aux. [ME wolde < OE, pt. of willan, to wish, WILL1] 1. pt. of WILL2 [she said she would be finished before six, in those days we would talk for hours on end] 2. used to express a supposition or condition [he would write if he knew you …   English World dictionary

  • Would? — «Would?» Сингл Alice in Chains из альбома Dirt Выпущен 1992 Формат CD, винил, кассета Жанр гранж, хеви метал, альтернативный метал …   Википедия

  • Would — Would, imp. of {Will}. [OE. & AS. wolde. See {Will}, v. t.] Commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d {Will}. [1913 Webster] Note: Would was formerly used also as the past… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Would? — «Would?» Sencillo de Alice in Chains del álbum Dirt Grabación Marzo Mayo 1992 Género(s) Grunge, heavy metal, metal alternativo Duración 3:27 …   Wikipedia Español

  • would've — would’ve UK [ˈwʊdəv] US short form mainly spoken the usual way of saying ‘would have’ Thesaurus: short formshyponym * * * /ˈwʊdəv/ used as a contraction of would have I would ve picked you up from the airport if I had known you were coming …   Useful english dictionary

  • Would-be — a. Desiring or professing to be; vainly pretending to be; as, a would be poet. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Would — may refer to: * English modal auxiliary verb#Would *Would?, a 1992 song by the grunge group Alice in Chains …   Wikipedia

  • would-be — would ,be adjective only before noun * hoping or trying to do something: The would be thieves smashed a glass panel in the front door. would be diplomats/lawyers/referees …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • would-be — would′ be adj. 1) wishing or pretending to be: a would be wit[/ex] 2) intended to be: a would be kindness[/ex] • Etymology: 1250–1300 …   From formal English to slang

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