second-guess

second-guess
transitive verb Date: 1941 1. to criticize or question actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known <
meet almost every morning and, over coffee, second-guess the local coach — Bruce Newman
>
; also to engage in such criticism of (an action or decision) <
second-guess the general's strategy
>
2. to seek to anticipate or predict <
lived royally by his ability to second-guess the stock market — Time
>
second-guesser noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • second-guess — second guesses, second guessing, second guessed VERB If you try to second guess something, you try to guess in advance what someone will do or what will happen. [V n] Editors and contributors are trying to second guess the future. [Also V] …   English dictionary

  • second-guess — (someone/something) 1. to try to guess what will happen or what someone will do. It s not for us to second guess the court s decision we ll just have to wait and see. (American & Australian) 2. to criticize someone s actions or an event after it… …   New idioms dictionary

  • second-guess — v [T] 1.) to try to say what will happen or what someone will do before they do it ▪ I m not going to try and second guess the committee s decisions. 2.) AmE to criticize something after it has already happened ▪ The decision has been made there… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • second-guess — If you second guess someone, you try to predict what they will do …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • second-guess — verb transitive 1. ) AMERICAN to criticize a decision after the results of the decision are known 2. ) to guess what someone is going to do or what will happen …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • second guess — guess what people think or what they will do    Don t try to second guess people. Ask them what you need to know …   English idioms

  • second-guess — second guesser, n. /sek euhnd ges /, v.t. 1. to use hindsight in criticizing or correcting. 2. to predict (something) or outguess (someone): We must try to second guess what he ll do next. [1945 50] * * * …   Universalium

  • second-guess — (v.) 1941, back formation from second guesser (1937), American English, originally baseball slang for a fan who loudly questions decisions by players, managers, etc.; perhaps from guesser in the baseball slang sense of umpire …   Etymology dictionary

  • second-guess — [sek′ənd ges′] vt., vi. Informal to use hindsight in criticizing or advising (someone), re solving (a past problem), remaking (a decision), etc. second guesser n …   English World dictionary

  • second-guess — ► VERB 1) anticipate or predict (someone s actions or thoughts) by guesswork. 2) judge (someone) with hindsight …   English terms dictionary

  • second-guess — UK / US verb [transitive] Word forms second guess : present tense I/you/we/they second guess he/she/it second guesses present participle second guessing past tense second guessed past participle second guessed 1) to guess what someone is going to …   English dictionary

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