Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

afterthought

[af-ter-thawt, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌθɔt, ˈɑf- /
NOUN
idea that occurs after it is timely
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"Clinicians should treat adherence to GLP-1 treatment as an important outcome in its own right -- not an afterthought," Al-Aly said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

They weren’t an afterthought; their interests were not considered at all.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

Clytemnestra’s revenge, an afterthought in this hero’s journey, is central to Greek drama and classical art as an example of unequal justice.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

Over the next 18 months, memory went from an afterthought to one of the AI boom’s biggest bottlenecks.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Her birthdays are often forgotten; she is an afterthought at holidays.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

So these are not just sort of weird random afterthoughts or vestiges.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

The sport was so closely woven into the fabric of Nordic culture that U.S. skiers knew they started every race as mere afterthoughts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

The viewer’s in for an unexpected twist, too, seeing as all of these characters but Rachel will soon be afterthoughts, tossed aside to maintain a constant laser focus on Marty’s hijinks.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2025

Following his death, some wondered if he had wound up in a rough-and-tumble league where skill and technique are afterthoughts.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

He ate hot eggs, warm bread, reveled in steaming tea, although the water from which the tea was made left an aftertaste in the mouth, afterthoughts in the brain: from what nearby bam?

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara




Vocabulary lists containing afterthought


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training