Meaning

(transitive) To vet or evaluate; to criticize or correct, often by hindsight, by presuming to have a better idea, method, etc..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To vet or evaluate; to criticize or correct, often by hindsight, by presuming to have a better idea, method, etc.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To anticipate or predict someone's actions or thoughts by guesswork.

Example Sentences

Please don't try to second-guess the procedure that we have already refined and adopted.

Once she began listening to her instincts and didn't second-guess herself the entire time, her artwork improved noticeably.

Public administration would be hamstrung if courts were free to second-guess reasonable administrative decisions.

As a practical matter, a fertilizer company could not afford to second-guess the Federal Trade Commission or a jury in a triple damage case on so obscure a point.

If you suspect you've stepped over the line, ask a few other copy editors to second-guess your headline.

In this day and age, it's so easy to stress / 'Cause people are strange and you can never second-guess

The Securities and Exchange Commission says Goldman misled two clients by failing to give adequate disclosure.[…] It is impossible to second-guess the case's outcome. But Goldman is already viewed by many as guilty.

But it is not Network Rail's job to second guess whether the sponsoring authority really does need the scheme, and whether it has looked at other options.

Word Forms

• second-guesses
• second-guessing
• second-guessed
• second guess

Synonyms for second-guess

Related Words

When Should You Use Second-guess?

Use second-guess when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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