manqué

1 9.9

A person who failed to become what they hoped to be

adjective
/mɑːnˈkeɪ/

Literature

: fracasado

Despite his writing talents, he considered himself a novelist manqué after abandoning his first book.

Examples

Many viewed him as a politician manqué due to his unfulfilled ambitions in public office.
She is a ballerina manqué, having left dance school to pursue a business career.
He is a manqué artist who never pursued his dreams.
Many consider her a manqué writer due to her unpublished novels.
Many viewed him as a politician manqué due to his unfulfilled ambitions in public office.
Despite her talents, she saw herself as a designer manqué after giving up on her fashion dreams.
He is a musician manqué who never got to record his own album.

Synonyms

unfulfilled

vsmanqué

18 4.7

Not satisfied because you cannot use your skills or reach your goals

emphasizes a failure to become what they might have been rather than mere dissatisfaction

unrealized

vsmanqué

9 6.2

Not having reached full ability or potential

implies they failed to become what they could have been

Antonyms

fulfilled

36 3.4

Having completed a plan or goal to a high standard

How Fulfilled

fulfilled

25 3.2

accomplished

83 3.8

manqué

Literature

1 9.9

unsuccessful

75 2.9

Surface Forms

manqué positive

Etymology

Manqué comes from the French verb manquer, which means 'to miss' or 'to lack'. So a 'novelist manqué' is someone who 'missed becoming' a novelist or 'lacked' the final step to reach that life, and the word now means someone unfulfilled in an ambition.