Dictionary.com

second thought

or second-thought

Save This Word!
See synonyms for: second thought / second thoughts on Thesaurus.com

noun
Often second thoughts. reservation about a previous action, position, decision, judgment, or the like: He had second thoughts about his decision.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Idioms about second thought

    on second thought, after reconsideration: On second thought, I don't think I'll go.

Origin of second thought

First recorded in 1625–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use second thought in a sentence

  • These, if unsettled by dire arbitrament of the sword, must be left to Time and his best coadjutor, "sober second-thought."

  • You do not want self-criticism of an obviously second-thought kind in them.

    A Letter Book|George Saintsbury

British Dictionary definitions for second thought

second thought

noun
(usually plural) a revised opinion or idea on a matter already considered
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK