secondguessing
Doubting past choices
Secondguessing is questioning or doubting a decision after it's been made—often your own.
The term implies the futility of hindsight: Stop secondguessing yourself and commit.
You can also secondguess others, especially those in authority: Fans love secondguessing the coach's play calls.
The hyphenated form second-guessing is equally common.
Delay from uncertainty
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- reconsiderationRenewed evaluation of something
indecision · vacillation · misgivings · reservations · qualms · skepticism · apprehension · ambivalence
Sorrow over past actions
- retrospectReflection on past events
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- reexaminationInspecting something once more
- reviewCritical written assessment
reassessment · reevaluation · analysis · rumination · overthinking · dwelling · postmortem · aftermath
Seeking answers through inquiry
- challengingHard to accomplish
- criticizingVoicing negative assessment
- doubtingQuestioning the truth
- contradictingAsserting the opposite
overriding · interfering · micromanaging · undercutting · dismissing · disregarding · overruling · superseding
Stating future outcomes
- outthinkingDefeating through cleverness
- outsmartingDefeating through superior intelligence
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
- preemptingActing to prevent beforehand
forecasting · intuiting · reading · outmaneuvering · strategizing · chess · gamesmanship · psychology
hesitation
Delay from uncertainty
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
reconsideration · indecision · vacillation · misgivings · reservations · qualms · skepticism · apprehension · ambivalence · tentativeness
regret
Sorrow over past actions
- retrospectReflection on past events
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- reexaminationInspecting something once more
review · reassessment · reevaluation · analysis · rumination · overthinking · dwelling · postmortem · aftermath · replay
questioning
Seeking answers through inquiry
- challengingHard to accomplish
- criticizingVoicing negative assessment
- doubtingQuestioning the truth
contradicting · overriding · interfering · micromanaging · undercutting · dismissing · disregarding · overruling · superseding · countermanding
predicting
Stating future outcomes
- outthinkingDefeating through cleverness
- outsmartingDefeating through superior intelligence
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
preempting · forecasting · intuiting · reading · outmaneuvering · strategizing · chess · gamesmanship · psychology · mind-reading
secondguessingcertainty
Total absence of doubt
confidence · conviction · decisiveness · resolve · commitment
secondguessingpeace of mind
State without anxiety
equanimity · acceptance · letting go · moving on · closure
second, guess, seconds, guesses, guessed, guessing, guesser, secondly, sequential