Meaning & use
Manqué
Last updated
Used after a noun to describe someone who has failed to become what they wanted or were meant to be.
See it in a sentence
He was a novelist manqué who spent his career writing corporate reports instead.
She always struck me as an actress manqué, dramatic in every conversation.
A note on using this word
Borrowed directly from French, where 'manqué' means 'missed' or 'failed'; it is always placed after the noun it modifies, as in 'a poet manqué.'
Words with a similar meaning
unfulfilledwould-be
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
accomplishedfulfilled
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Manqué”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.