has-been

English

WOTD – 28 October 2010

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhæz.biːn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhæz.bɪn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

has-been (plural has-beens)

1. (derogatory) A person, especially one formerly popular or influential, who continues in their field after their popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline.
   • 1927 November 25, J. Jingle, “Merely My Musings”, in The Dabbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate, page 2, column 3:

     When the aforesaid alderman or another wishes to express mild contemptuosity for his fellows and himself in future I would suggest “old fossils” or “old has beens,” or “old fogies,” then the Sir Galahads that are always riding—or driving—about in this progressive dorp will not have any cause to complain.

   • 1986 (Jan 6), John Gantz, "Things Look Better in the Long View", InfoWorld, 7 (52) / 8 (1), page 19

     I think Apple Computer is a has-been.

   • 2009, William Shatner, Up Till Now: The Autobiography, page 338:

     Is it better to never be than to be and eventually become a has-been?

Synonyms

• rusty nail

Derived terms

• hasbian

Translations

person declining in popularity or effectiveness

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一度有名的人物 (yīdù yǒumíng de rénwù), 過氣名人／过气名人 (guòqì míngrén)

• Czech: vyřízený člověk m
• Dutch: passe (nl) m
• Finnish: unohdettu suuruus, entinen kuuluisuus
• French: has-been (fr) m or f
• Georgian: ყოფილი (q̇opili)
• German: ehemalig (de), (more negative, but less frequent) gewesen (de) (in nominal use combine with some noun like Berühmtheit, Größe, Star)
• Hungarian: levitézlett (hu), lecsúszott (hu)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Maori: tangata tūnguru
• Polish: has-been (pl) m, przebrzmiały
• Portuguese: ex-famoso m
• Russian: челове́к, потеря́вший былу́ю сла́ву (čelovék, poterjávšij bylúju slávu)
• Spanish: ha-sido m
• Swedish: föredetting (sv) c

See also

• would-be
• never-was

Anagrams

• banshee, shabeen, shebean

French

Alternative forms

• has been

Etymology

Borrowed from English has-been.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /az.bin/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

has-been (invariable)

1. out of fashion
   • 2023, Frédéric Beigbeder, “Adieu la coke”, in Confessions d'un hétérosexuel légèrement dépassé, Paris: Albin Michel, →ISBN, page 40:

     La coke est devenue has been.

     Coke has fallen out of fashion.

Noun

has-been m or f (plural has-beens)

1. (derogatory) has-been