manqué

UK: English: /mɑ̃ke/, French: /ˈmɒŋkeɪ/

US: /mɑŋˈkeɪ/

US: (mäng kā′; Fr. män kā′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

man•qué /mɑŋˈkeɪ/   adj. [after a noun]

1. unsuccessful;
   unfulfilled:
   a poet manqué.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

manqué / mɑ̃ke ˈmɒŋkeɪ/ adjective

1. (postpositive) unfulfilled; potential; would-be: the manager is an actor manqué

Etymology: 19th Century: literally: having missed

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

manque  (mänk), n. [French.]

1. the numbers 1 to 18 in roulette. Cf. passe. 

• literally, lack

man•qué  (mäng kā′; Fr. män kā′), adj. 

1. having failed, missed, or fallen short, esp. because of circumstances or a defect of character;
   unsuccessful;
   unfulfilled or frustrated (usually used postpositively):
   a poet manqué who never produced a single book of verse.

• Medieval Latin, Late Latin mancus (Latin: feeble, literally, maimed, having a useless hand, probably derivative of manus hand)
• Italian mancare, derivative of manco lacking, defective
• French, past participle of manquer to lack, be short of
• 1770–80