HAS-BEEN Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

has-been

noun

ˈhaz-ˌbin

Definition of has-been

as in relic

one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity now a has-been, the actor's been reduced to appearing on a third-rate reality show

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of has-been Ken Blake Brea Sorry to see Jerry Neuheisel leave UCLA to join traitor and coaching has-been Chip Kelly at Northwestern. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026 All this success begs the legitimate question of how the once-struggling reality show for has-been celebrities reinvented itself and became a pop-cultural phenomenon that any public figure would be lucky to utilize as their re-introduction into the zeitgeist. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025 In other words, the vainly hopeful Larry is about to endure twin humiliations, leaving him feeling bumped out of his life and into the past—a has-been, instantly old. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025 And as alcoholic has-been Morris, Matthau was fantastically slovenly and cynical, an anti–role model for the ages. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for has-been

Recent Examples of Synonyms for has-been

Noun

The Paper Receipts Converting Association, a trade group of US manufacturers, pushes back against anti-receipt legislation and advocates for paper receipts as a consumer right, not a relic.

— HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
In April, a former server at Long Island Bar bought the neighborhood relic Sam’s Restaurant from Lou Migliaccio, whose relatives opened it in 1930.

— Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of relic

Noun

And Vernal itself was fun, with big fibreglass dinosaurs in front of half of its cafés, petrol stations and hotels, including our own, the Dinosaur Inn & Suites.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 30 Aug. 2026
This short film, created by Little Nemo cartoonist Winsor McCay, is one of the very best dinosaur movies, a groundbreaking work of animation and one of the first examples of incorporating the medium into live-action.

— James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of dinosaur

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has-been

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“Has-been.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/has-been. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of has-been

noun

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