second nature
Effortless through repetition
Second nature is a skill or behavior so practiced it feels instinctive rather than learned.
What once required conscious effort becomes automatic: After years of driving, shifting gears is second nature.
The phrase implies mastery through repetition—the acquired habit now functions as smoothly as if you were born with it.
Settled regular tendency
- reflexInvoluntary stimulus response
- autopilotAutomated vehicle guidance system
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- muscle memoryAutomatic physical skill retention
ingrained · mechanical · programmed · conditioned · involuntary · spontaneous · instinctive · internalized
Repeated work toward mastery
- trainingDeveloping abilities through practice
- expertiseSkill from extensive practice
- proficiencySkilled performance level
- repetitionAct of redoing
discipline · skill · technique · conditioning · habituation · drill · craftsmanship · competence
Lack of strain
- fluidSubstance that flows
- seamlessWithout visible joins
- gracefulElegant in movement
- smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
naturalness · unlabored · unforced · flowing · relaxed · casual · nonchalant · unconscious
habit
Settled regular tendency
- reflexInvoluntary stimulus response
- autopilotAutomated vehicle guidance system
- routineRegular sequence of actions
muscle memory · ingrained · mechanical · programmed · conditioned · involuntary · spontaneous · instinctive · internalized · hardwired
practice
Repeated work toward mastery
- trainingDeveloping abilities through practice
- expertiseSkill from extensive practice
- proficiencySkilled performance level
repetition · discipline · skill · technique · conditioning · habituation · drill · craftsmanship · competence · fluency
ease
Lack of strain
smooth · naturalness · unlabored · unforced · flowing · relaxed · casual · nonchalant · unconscious · unstrained
talent
Inborn aptitude
instinct · aptitude · flair · predisposition · natural ability · bent · inborn · inherent · native · proclivity
- ___ nature
- Number Phrasesone and only, two cents, three strikes, four corners, five senses
- skill idiomsknow the ropes, cut the mustard, on the ball, sharp as a tack, jack of all trades
- autopilotautopilot, autothrottle, flight director, autoland, pitch control
- habitshabit, habits, bad habit, study habits, rituals
- Born with itinnate, inborn, hereditary, genetic, inherent
second natureforced
Made to occur unwillingly
labored · effortful · laborious · painstaking · strenuous
second natureunfamiliar
Not previously known
foreign · alien · unaccustomed · unlearned · unpracticed
nature, second, secondary, secondhand, second-rate, seconded, second-class, secondarily, seconder