second-guess

1. To question or doubt someone or something retroactively. Why are you second-guessing me now? You agreed with this course of treatment just yesterday! You made the best decisions you could with the information you had at the time, so please don't second-guess yourself.

2. To try to anticipate how something will happen or what someone will do. Trying to second-guess the outcome of a game in progress is exhausting.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

second-guess someone

to try to predict what some person will do before it is known to anyone, including the person. There is no point in trying to second-guess Bob. He is completely unpredictable.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

See also:

(someone or something) promises well
benefit of the doubt, to give/have the
in doubt
Why break the habit of a lifetime?
call in question, to
without/beyond doubt
beyond (a) doubt
beyond a doubt
call in question
call into question

References in periodicals archive

There is nothing new about news editors using Associated Press (AP) or other "wire" stories to second-guess their own reporters.

The imperial editors

They check my spelling and can second-guess vocabulary and syntax, if I want to buy programs that let them do it.

High-tech makes weak writers

It is impossible to second-guess what difference the early or late arrival, by a matter of one or two minutes, of a squad car would make to a crime, 999 times out of 1,000 it won't be a murder, so why don't young policemen put their adrenaline on hold until they get out of their cars and assess what's going on?

What difference a few seconds? Views of the North

Barnes is now 6-4 favourite but Hills spokesman Graham Sharpe said one thing he has learned in over 25 years of setting Booker odds is never to second-guess the judges.

Sensing a happy ending; RESULT!

Strong Storm was backed into 1.08 from 1.2 to keep the race in Betfair's stewards' inquiry market, but one can never second-guess the stewards, who amended the result.

Strong Storm controversy YARMOUTH'S claiming; BETTING REPORT

Is Peters seriously suggesting that FDR would have taken kindly to retired generals going to the press to second-guess his decisions or appointments?

Generals against Rumsfeld

If it means under that principle, somebody gets the answer 97 and somebody gets 95, but it meets the principle, you can't second-guess them.

With convergence closer, IASB chair reflects on progress

``Vague, verbal instructions that are not backed up with drawings result in the builder having to second-guess what the client wants.

Your Home: Preparation is the key to happiness

The state Senate Transportation Committee decided to second-guess. Lawson appeared before the committee and recommended that a "blue-ribbon" panel be formed to study his findings and those of Sierra.

Breathing room

(More than 50 percent of all obstetricians have been sued at least once.) Once the suit is filed, the doctor can look forward to five years or so of torture as lawyers second-guess every detail of what happened to the sick patient.

Medical Malpractice and the American Jury

First, a federal district court sided with Northwest, saying that arbitrators had no authority to second-guess Morrison's contract, which clearly stated that anyone who walks into a cockpit less than 24 hours after drinking can be fired.

Have one for the runway; how Transportation Department policies add new meaning to the word "red-eye." (drunk pilots)

Indeed, at your first convention of fashion people you see that fashion is like a big public institution where everyone has to go, not only the "in" kids; so you have all the different levels of coolness, from cutting-edge jet-set fashion-forward types, older and younger versions, to others who look like they're buying to second-guess the more style-impaired mainstream - the blah bulk of the class that permits the coolest girls to rule.

Survival of the fitted

As a game, Millennium Auction suffers from the new medium's commonest weaknesses: after a few rounds, your snooping degenerates into a mechanical scanning for so-far-unactivated hot spots, while your trades become simply attempts to second-guess the writers' petulant sense of humor.

VR the art world

There is always the danger that choreographers will second-guess what the judges want and veer away from their true path as dance-makers (not that that path is always perfectly clear).

Belarussian roulette: a choreography competition in Vitebsk ignites careers outside the U.S

The idea that the courts would come in to second-guess the decision of the president would be, in our view, a violation of what's called the 'separation of powers.'"

Guantanamo Bay power grab

词组	second-guess
释义	second-guess second-guess 1. To question or doubt someone or something retroactively. Why are you second-guessing me now? You agreed with this course of treatment just yesterday! You made the best decisions you could with the information you had at the time, so please don't second-guess yourself. 2. To try to anticipate how something will happen or what someone will do. Trying to second-guess the outcome of a game in progress is exhausting. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. second-guess someone to try to predict what some person will do before it is known to anyone, including the person. There is no point in trying to second-guess Bob. He is completely unpredictable. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. See also: (someone or something) promises well benefit of the doubt, to give/have the in doubt Why break the habit of a lifetime? call in question, to without/beyond doubt beyond (a) doubt beyond a doubt call in question call into question References in periodicals archive There is nothing new about news editors using Associated Press (AP) or other "wire" stories to second-guess their own reporters. The imperial editors They check my spelling and can second-guess vocabulary and syntax, if I want to buy programs that let them do it. High-tech makes weak writers It is impossible to second-guess what difference the early or late arrival, by a matter of one or two minutes, of a squad car would make to a crime, 999 times out of 1,000 it won't be a murder, so why don't young policemen put their adrenaline on hold until they get out of their cars and assess what's going on? What difference a few seconds? Views of the North Barnes is now 6-4 favourite but Hills spokesman Graham Sharpe said one thing he has learned in over 25 years of setting Booker odds is never to second-guess the judges. Sensing a happy ending; RESULT! Strong Storm was backed into 1.08 from 1.2 to keep the race in Betfair's stewards' inquiry market, but one can never second-guess the stewards, who amended the result. Strong Storm controversy YARMOUTH'S claiming; BETTING REPORT Is Peters seriously suggesting that FDR would have taken kindly to retired generals going to the press to second-guess his decisions or appointments? Generals against Rumsfeld If it means under that principle, somebody gets the answer 97 and somebody gets 95, but it meets the principle, you can't second-guess them. With convergence closer, IASB chair reflects on progress ``Vague, verbal instructions that are not backed up with drawings result in the builder having to second-guess what the client wants. Your Home: Preparation is the key to happiness The state Senate Transportation Committee decided to second-guess. Lawson appeared before the committee and recommended that a "blue-ribbon" panel be formed to study his findings and those of Sierra. Breathing room (More than 50 percent of all obstetricians have been sued at least once.) Once the suit is filed, the doctor can look forward to five years or so of torture as lawyers second-guess every detail of what happened to the sick patient. Medical Malpractice and the American Jury First, a federal district court sided with Northwest, saying that arbitrators had no authority to second-guess Morrison's contract, which clearly stated that anyone who walks into a cockpit less than 24 hours after drinking can be fired. Have one for the runway; how Transportation Department policies add new meaning to the word "red-eye." (drunk pilots) Indeed, at your first convention of fashion people you see that fashion is like a big public institution where everyone has to go, not only the "in" kids; so you have all the different levels of coolness, from cutting-edge jet-set fashion-forward types, older and younger versions, to others who look like they're buying to second-guess the more style-impaired mainstream - the blah bulk of the class that permits the coolest girls to rule. Survival of the fitted As a game, Millennium Auction suffers from the new medium's commonest weaknesses: after a few rounds, your snooping degenerates into a mechanical scanning for so-far-unactivated hot spots, while your trades become simply attempts to second-guess the writers' petulant sense of humor. VR the art world There is always the danger that choreographers will second-guess what the judges want and veer away from their true path as dance-makers (not that that path is always perfectly clear). Belarussian roulette: a choreography competition in Vitebsk ignites careers outside the U.S The idea that the courts would come in to second-guess the decision of the president would be, in our view, a violation of what's called the 'separation of powers.'" Guantanamo Bay power grab
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