Meaning & use
second-guess
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To doubt or criticize a decision after it has been made, especially your own.
Grammar: Takes an object: second-guess a choice, second-guess yourself.
Patterns
- second-guess something
- second-guess yourself
- second-guess someone's decision
After the meeting, she began to second-guess her proposal.
Don't second-guess yourself now; you made the right call.
The coach refused to second-guess his players after the loss.
verbtransitive
To predict or anticipate what someone will do, often to gain an advantage.
Grammar: Takes an object: second-guess the opponent, second-guess the market.
Patterns
- second-guess someone
- second-guess what someone will do
The spy tried to second-guess the enemy's next move.
It's hard to second-guess the stock market.
She's good at second-guessing her opponents on the tennis court.
Word forms
| third person singular | second-guesses |
|---|---|
| past tense | second-guessed |
| past participle | second-guessed |
| -ing form | second-guessing |
Common combinations
- second-guess yourself
- Stop second-guessing yourself and trust your instincts.
- second-guess a decision
- It's easy to second-guess a decision once you know the outcome.
- second-guess the enemy
- In chess, you constantly second-guess your opponent.
- start second-guessing
- The team started second-guessing their strategy after two losses.
Synonyms and how they differ
- doubt
- To doubt is to feel unsure; to second-guess is to actively question a decision after making it.
- question
- To question something is to express doubt about it; second-guess is more specific to re-evaluating a past choice.
- anticipate
- To anticipate is to expect something; second-guess adds the idea of predicting someone's actions to outsmart them.
Opposites
Word family
- second-guesser noun
- A person who often doubts or criticizes decisions, especially their own.
Commonly confused: second-guess or guess?
second-guess vs guess
To guess is to give an answer without being sure; to second-guess is to doubt a decision you or someone else already made.
Practice
After the game, the manager refused to ______ his decision to substitute the star player.
Choose one answer.
'Second-guess' fits because it means to doubt a decision after it was made. 'Guess' means to give an uncertain answer, and 'doubt' would need a different structure like 'doubt that...'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “second-guess”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.