ENGLISH
REFERENCE

second nature

idiom
Meaning

A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.


Examples
SIMPLE

Driving is second nature to her now.

CONTEXTUAL

After ten years in the kitchen, chopping vegetables quickly became second nature.

COMPLEX

Having lived in four countries by the age of thirty, adapting to unfamiliar customs had become second nature to him.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    answer the call of nature

    To satisfy a bodily urge to urinate or defecate.

  2. 02

    better nature

    the more amiable qualities of someone

  3. 03

    have second thoughts

    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

  4. 04

    just a second

    A short period of time, typically anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes or more.

  5. 05

    let nature take its course

    To permit events to proceed or a situation to develop without intervention or interference.

  6. 06

    nature abhors a vacuum

    Generating and maintaining a near-vacuum is challenging (requiring technical rigor) because ambient pressure tends to push matter forcefully into the evacuated chamber; and generating a true vacuum (devoid of any matter at all) is extremely challenging.

  7. 07

    nature calls

    Used to indicate that someone (usually the speaker) feels a need to urinate or defecate.

  8. 08

    nature of the beast

    The unchangeable nature of something.

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