as in doubt
a feeling of guilt, doubt, worry, etc., that you have after you have decided to do something or after something has happened
After she agreed to lend him the money, she had second thoughts. She was having second thoughts about getting married.
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Recent Examples of second thought
And then a second thought immediately popped into his head.
—
oregonlive, 3 May 2022
My second thought, as the slap hit home, was: Why did nobody think of this before?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022
In the past, Fischer, 40, who lives in Miami Beach, Fla., wouldn’t have given his mild cold symptoms a second thought.
—Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021
As the existing workforce exits the industry and new technological innovation changes how projects are imagined and built, the industry has a unique opportunity to attract a new type of worker who may never have given construction a second thought.
—Mark Schwartz, Forbes, 17 May 2021
See All Example Sentences for second thought
oregonlive, 3 May 2022
My second thought, as the slap hit home, was: Why did nobody think of this before?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022
In the past, Fischer, 40, who lives in Miami Beach, Fla., wouldn’t have given his mild cold symptoms a second thought.
—Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021
As the existing workforce exits the industry and new technological innovation changes how projects are imagined and built, the industry has a unique opportunity to attract a new type of worker who may never have given construction a second thought.
—Mark Schwartz, Forbes, 17 May 2021
See All Example Sentences for second thought
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second thought
Noun
-
Nerves, doubt, and hesitation are normal and expected at this point in the process.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
28 May 2026
-
Throughout the nearly four-week trial, defense attorneys have contended that the government cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their clients intended to join a criminal racketeering conspiracy.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Jake became Sai without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Nerves, doubt, and hesitation are normal and expected at this point in the process.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second thought.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second%20thought. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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