afterthought
English
editEtymology 1
editEtymology tree
From after- + thought, probably modelled on forethought. Compare also the verb afterthink.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editafterthought (plural afterthoughts)
- A reflection after an act; a later or subsequent thought, action, or expedient.
- She packed her sandals only as an afterthought, but she was glad she did.
- Something additional to the original plan or concept.
- This whole remodeling was an afterthought; we were only going to paint and call it good.
- 2007, Constantine Sult, chapter 1, in The Murder of Linen, [United States]: Brown Paper Publishing, page 1:
- The lighting in the corridor just dabbles of arcs, afterthoughts, smears. The light a grime that gives him a slight headache. The same type as when it has rained, remained humid, a fetid stale of ozone over everything.
- 2019 August 30, Jonathan Watts, “Amazon fires show world heading for point of no return, says UN”, in The Guardian[1]:
- For most of the past three decades, the natural world was treated almost as an afterthought by world leaders. If discussed at all, it was with platitudes about the need to save polar bears and tigers.
Related terms
editTranslations
edita subsequent thought
|
something additional
|
Verb
editafterthought (third-person singular simple present afterthoughts, present participle afterthoughting, simple past and past participle afterthoughted)
- (very rare except in the past tense, possibly nonstandard) To expound as an afterthought.
Etymology 2
editVerb
editafterthought
- simple past and past participle of afterthink
Categories:
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂epó
- English terms prefixed with after-
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teng- (think)
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
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