wanna be

wannabe

1. noun, informal A person who aspires to be or emulate a particular person or role, especially in a vain, superficial, or inferior manner. I love writing, but for some reason I have always felt like a wannabe. The success of the hip-hop star has spawned a huge number of wannabes among fans and other artists alike.
2. noun, informal A product that has been designed to reproduce or imitate the successful qualities or characteristics of something else. There are dozens of wannabes on the market for half the price, but you get what you pay for. You know, for an iPhone wannabe, this is actually a pretty decent little device.
3. adjective, informal Of or indicating such vain, superficial, or inferior emulation. She's just a wannabe actress, still deluding herself that she has what it takes to be a star. The new sci-fi film is little more than a wannabe Star Wars.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wanna be

verb
See wannabe
See also: wanna
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • look alike
  • hanger-on
  • holy terror
  • a holy terror
  • hand around
  • big fish in a small pond
  • frog in a small pond
  • a big fish in a small pond
  • a big frog in a small pond
  • pond
References in periodicals archive
She'll play her second song I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend on May 30 at the latest Electric Honey showcase which includes the likes of The Nickajack Men and Flew the Arrow.
Let me see through eyes of love / I wanna' see the world like you / Don't wanna be these peoples judge / Just wanna love them like you do
You know, when you compare all the logos of the Asian Games, the Southeast Asian Games, etcetera, my question to you is, do you wanna be the same or do you wanna stand out?" Cayetano told reporters on Wednesday.
Famous for hits including Fools Gold, I Am The Resurrection and I Wanna Be Adored, that are as recognisable now as were the heyday of Madchester and the Hacienda, The Stone Roses played a pivotal role in the history of the UK's indie music scene.
It has gotten to the point that people won't even say hi to me or recognise me as a human, I feel like a zoo animal, and I wanna be able to keep my sanity.
Then, of course, BBC4 ran a documentary on Clarke, Evidently Chickentown was used on the penultimate episode of The Sopranos and Alex Turner borrowed the words to I Wanna Be Yours to close the Arctic Monkeys most recent album AM.
He said: "Gary Lineker, and a few who didn't wanna be mentioned but they are gonna get mentioned - Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Jack Wilshere."
"So You Wanna Be a Superstar?: The Ultimate Audition Guide" is a guide for those with stars in their eyes on how to better get into their star career.
Itmakes memad,makes me sad Makes me wanna be a normal lad.
Yes, classic favorites from the best-selling album of all time are all there: the bouncy, body-moving "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and easy-flowing "The Girl Is Mine," on which he duels with Paul McCartney, as well as the still evocative "Thriller," the delightfully threatening "Beat It," the exuberant "Billie Jean;' and still beautiful "Human Nature." The CD also offers Vincent Price excerpts from the Thriller voice-over session and six unreleased tracks.
It features the original demo recording of Billie Jean and For All Time, an unreleased track from the Thriller sessions, There's also a Kanye West re-mix of Billie Jean while will.i.am features on new versions of The Girl is Mine, PYT and Wanna Be Startin' Something.
The nightmarish "Bimbo's Initiation" (1931), where poor Bimbo the dog is hounded by evil men in hoods holding candles and chanting, "Wanna be a member?" is one of the scariest things I have ever seen.
Thirty writers offer their wisdom, humor and insights on the challenges of parenting teens in I Wanna Be Sedated: 30 Writers On Parenting Teenagers.
"Wanna be thankful, wanna be happy / Not just try to get through." If you're ready to surrender to all the nuances of love, let Comfort Woman help take you there.
The courses are as follows: I Wanna Act and I Wanna Write, on Tuesdays, from 7pm to 9pm; I Wanna Cook, Wednesdays, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm; I Wanna Sing and I Wanna Be A Theatre Technician, Thursday, from 7pm to 9pm.