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- on second thought
on second thought
on second thought
Fig. having given something more thought; having reconsidered something. On second thought, maybe you should sell your house and move into an apartment. On second thought, let's not go to a movie.
on second thought
after having thought about something again On second thought we decided that it would be too expensive to fly, so we took a bus instead.
Related vocabulary: (but) then againon second thought
Resulting from a revised opinion or change of mind, as in I thought I'd go to the movies, but on second thought I'd rather stay home. Similarly, have second thoughts means "change one's mind," as in I've had second thoughts about moving to Florida. This idiom alludes to ideas that come later. [Mid-1600s]