Definition of 'afterthought'

Word Frequency

afterthought

(ɑːftəʳθɔːt , æf-)

Word forms: plural afterthoughts

countable noun [usually singular]

If you do or say something as an afterthought, you do or say it after something else as an addition, perhaps without careful thought.

Almost as an afterthought he added that he missed her.

Word Frequency

afterthought in British

(ˈɑːftəˌθɔːt )

noun

a comment, reply, etc, that occurs to one after the opportunity to deliver it has passed

an addition to something already completed

Word Frequency

afterthought in American

(ˈæftərˌθɔt ; afˈtərt hôtˌ)

noun

an idea, explanation, part, etc. coming or added later

a thought coming too late, after the occasion for which it was apt

Example sentences containing 'afterthought'

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Long working days and hours on the road mean a healthy lifestyle can sometimes become an afterthought. The Sun (2012)And her acting was so bland that it seemed like an afterthought. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Production seems something of an afterthought. The Sun (2012)Football is something of an afterthought. Times, Sunday Times (2013)The human population seemed an afterthought. Oxenhorn, Harvey Tuning the Rig: A Journey to the Arctic (1990)The music was a mere afterthought. Times, Sunday Times (2010)Defending had become almost an afterthought and these two sides chased up and down the pitch in search of a telling blow. Times, Sunday Times (2007)The quality of the food had become an afterthought, and that needed to change. Times, Sunday Times (2015)The extra point in football has become an afterthought, a rarely exciting element to the game. Christianity Today (2000)Food becomes an afterthought, while productivity improves. The Sun (2013)While a video screen adds a few visual puns, it seems almost an afterthought. Times, Sunday Times (2011)Where this is lacking, the result can be characterization that seems like an afterthought. The Times Literary Supplement (2013)It seems to have been an afterthought, probably added to pep up interest in an obscure composer. Times, Sunday Times (2007)The fact it happens to be a diesel will quickly become an afterthought, apart from when you realise how little fuel you are putting in. The Sun (2011)They are an afterthought, something they would not mind winning if they were in Melbourne. Times, Sunday Times (2010)Many also admitted that their parents or grandparents were 'an afterthought' and they often cancelled visits if something more exciting came up. Times, Sunday Times (2014)

Trends of 'afterthought'

Used Occasionally. afterthought is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'afterthought'

Source

Definition of afterthought from the Collins English Dictionary

Square brackets [ ]

Square brackets are used, usually in books and articles, when supplying words that make a quotation clearer or that comment on it, although they were not originally said or written. Mr Runcie conclu...