second thought

American  

Or second-thought

noun

1. Often second thoughts. reservation about a previous action, position, decision, judgment, or the like.

   He had second thoughts about his decision.

---

idioms

1. on second thought, after reconsideration.

   On second thought, I don't think I'll go.

second thought British  

noun

1. (usually plural) a revised opinion or idea on a matter already considered

---

Etymology

Origin of second thought

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second thought

She added "I feel like Liverpool council have just treated us not even as a second thought really."

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

A 20-year-old has decades of that long run ahead, and should be almost entirely in stocks without a second thought about short-term swings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

It is in these jargon-rich, usually quiet meetings where so many data centers are approved without second thought.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

But for Fatima, a 36-year-old German housewife travelling with her family, "there was no second thought" about coming to Mecca, Islam's holiest city.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Lee Chong considered it as a storehouse for groceries, as a kind of warehouse, but he gave that up on second thought.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck