might-have-been
What never happened
A might-have-been is something that could have happened but didn't—an unrealized possibility or a person who failed to fulfill their potential.
The term carries wistfulness or regret: He spent his later years dwelling on might-have-beens.
A former athlete past his prime might be called a might-have-been, someone whose promise went unfulfilled.
Guilt for wrongdoing
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- rueFeel deep remorse
lament · hindsight · second-guessing · squandered · self-reproach · chagrin · heartache · bittersweet
Contrary-to-fact supposition
- what-ifHypothetical scenario query
- unrealizedNot made actual
- scenarioPostulated event sequence
- possibilityState of being achievable
imagined · conjecture · supposition · theoretical · divergent · speculative · notional
Recalling past experiences
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
- memoryMind's retention capacity
longing · bittersweet · halcyon · retrospection · sentimentality · melancholy · sepia-toned · rose-colored
Sustained reflective attention
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
- musingReflective contemplation
brooding · reverie · self-examination · soul-searching · meditation · hindsight · reassessment · reckoning
remorse
Guilt for wrongdoing
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
rue · lament · hindsight · second-guessing · squandered · self-reproach · chagrin · heartache · bittersweet · sorrow
counterfactual
Contrary-to-fact supposition
- what-ifHypothetical scenario query
- unrealizedNot made actual
- scenarioPostulated event sequence
possibility · imagined · conjecture · supposition · theoretical · divergent · speculative · notional
reminiscence
Recalling past experiences
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
memory · longing · bittersweet · halcyon · retrospection · sentimentality · melancholy · sepia-toned · rose-colored · used-to-be
contemplation
Sustained reflective attention
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
musing · brooding · reverie · self-examination · soul-searching · meditation · hindsight · reassessment · reckoning · reconsideration
might-have-beenreality
What actually exists
actuality · fact · what happened · the real thing · truth
might-have-beensuccess story
Narrative of achievement
achievement · triumph · accomplishment · has-been · never-was
might, have, been, having, haves, mightier, mightiest, mighty, mightily