might-be

Could turn out

A might-be is something or someone that could potentially exist or occur but hasn't yet materialized—a possibility rather than a reality.

The term often carries a dismissive tone, suggesting something speculative or uncertain: He's just a might-be, not a proven talent.

Compare with has-been, which describes someone whose best days are past.

possibility

chance

Likelihood of occurrence

contingency · eventuality · plausibility · conceivability · option · scenario · feasibility · hope · risk · gamble

speculation

conjecture

Guess from limited facts

supposition · assumption · presumption · surmise · prediction · projection · extrapolation · forecasting · what-if · imagining

uncertainty

doubt

Lack of firm belief

questionable · indefinite · unsure · undecided · unconfirmed · unsettled · unknown · unresolved · contingent · iffy

potential

promise

Commitment to act

talent · gift · ability · latent · dormant · unrealized · untapped · budding · emerging · nascent

aspiration

dreams

Involuntary sleep visions

wishes · desires · intentions · plans · visions · fantasies · ideals · yearnings · longings · aspirations

Opposites
epistemic certainty

might-becertainty

Total absence of doubt

sure thing · definite · known quantity · guaranteed · confirmed

actuality

might-beis

Present-tense existence verb

actuality · reality · actual · fact · existent

temporal realization

might-behas-been

Former notable, now irrelevant

was · fait accompli · done deal · foregone conclusion · inevitable

Family

might, mighty, almighty, mightily, mightiness, might-bes

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Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G