would-be

Definition

Attempting or desiring something.

Example Sentences

• "Would-be marines have to get through a rigorous examination."
• "As Tarzan’s heavy hand fell upon his shoulder the priest dropped his victim, and turned upon her would-be rescuer."
• "Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases."