SECOND THOUGHT Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

second thought

noun

Definition of second thought

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of second thought Subscriptions like Billie cover this for you without a second thought. — Sabina Wizemann, Good Housekeeping, 30 Nov. 2022 In America, the allure of material comfort is accepted without a second thought. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2022 Would Daenerys Targaryen have lit that place up without a second thought? — Lauren Morgan, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2022 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

Complicating things is the current Administration, which has mastered the art of using those message-delivery systems to spread doubt and discontent and suspicion.

— Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Beset with doubts and periods of blockage, Krasner had to find constantly ways to move on and pursue a trajectory that was all her own, all while facing Pollock’s larger-than-life.

— John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of doubt

Noun

At first, it’s seen in Soulan’s hesitation at accepting children from other villages to his class — then in his rage at his mother for feeding guests at the potential expense of the children’s meals.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
The new work is a radical take on aging and femininity, an uncut hit of Cindy Sherman—despite, or maybe even because of, her initial hesitation.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitation

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second sight

second thought

second thoughts

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“Second thought.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second%20thought. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of second thought

noun

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