1. having failed to achieve one’s potential or ambition; unfulfilled
Usage: from French; typically follows the noun it modifies

Examples

• He was an artist manque who never quite made it in the gallery world.
• The novel tells the story of a politician manque who turned to journalism.
• She considered herself a writer manque after abandoning her novel.
• The restaurant was run by a chef manque who had trained at culinary school but never worked professionally.
• His father was a musician manque who pushed his son to achieve what he couldn’t.
• The small town was full of actors manque who had given up their Hollywood dreams.