second-guess
second-guessing; second-guessed
When you second-guess something, you either predict what will happen in the future, or look back and reevaluate something that happened in the past. You might second-guess your decision to wear shorts after it starts snowing.
You can second-guess how your favorite player will perform in the Super Bowl, but you won't know until you watch the game. And then you might second-guess the way your team played. The first use of second-guess has you guessing what someone will do. The second, which is more common in the U.S., comes from baseball slang, "for a fan who loudly questions decisions by players."
Definitions of second-guess
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evaluate or criticize with hindsight
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type of:
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comment
explain or interpret something
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comment
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attempt to anticipate or predict
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synonyms:
outguess
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type of:
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anticipate, call, forebode, foretell, predict, prognosticate, promise
make a prediction about; tell in advance
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anticipate, call, forebode, foretell, predict, prognosticate, promise
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘second-guess'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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