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nice

[ nahys ]

/ naɪs /

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See synonyms for nice on Thesaurus.com

adjective, nic·er, nic·est.

pleasing; agreeable; delightful: a nice visit.

amiably pleasant; kind: They are always nice to strangers.

characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy: nice workmanship; a nice shot; a nice handling of a crisis.

showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate, as instruments:a job that requires nice measurements.

minute, fine, or subtle: a nice distinction.

having or showing delicate, accurate perception: a nice sense of color.

refined in manners, language, etc.: Nice people wouldn't do such things.

virtuous; respectable; decorous: a nice girl.

suitable or proper: That was not a nice remark.

carefully neat in dress, habits, etc.

(especially of food) dainty or delicate.

having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes: They're much too nice in their dining habits to enjoy an outdoor barbecue.

Obsolete. coy, shy, or reluctant.

Obsolete. unimportant; trivial.

Obsolete. wanton.

OTHER WORDS FOR nice

3 delicate, exact, exacting, critical, scrupulous, discriminating, discerning, particular.

7 polite.

10, 12 finical, finicky.

See synonyms for nice on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR nice

2 unkind.

See antonyms for nice on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR NICE

What's So Wrong With "Nice"?

Why does the word "nice" rub us the wrong way? Why don't people want to date the nice guy? What's so wrong with nice? Doesn't every mom wish you would meet a nice guy?

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about nice

make nice, to behave in a friendly, ingratiating, or conciliatory manner.

nice and, sufficiently: It's nice and warm in here.

Origin of nice

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: “foolish, stupid,” from Old French: “silly, simple,” from Latin nescius “ignorant, incapable,” equivalent to ne- negative prefix + sci- (stem of scīre “to know”; see science) + -us adjective suffix

usage note for nice

The semantic history of nice is quite varied, as the etymology and the obsolete senses attest, and any attempt to insist on only one of its present senses as correct will not be in keeping with the facts of actual usage. If any criticism is valid, it might be that the word is used too often and has become a cliché lacking the qualities of precision and intensity that are embodied in many of its synonyms.

OTHER WORDS FROM nice

nicely, adverbniceness, nouno·ver·nice, adjectiveo·ver·nice·ly, adverb

o·ver·nice·ness, nounun·nice, adjectiveun·nice·ly, adverbun·nice·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nice

1. nice , niceness , nicety2. gneiss, nice

Words nearby nice

Nicaean, NICAM, Nicaragua, Nicaraguan, niccolite, nice, Nice guys finish last, nice-looking, Nicene, Nicene Council, Nicene Creed

Other definitions for nice (2 of 2)

Nice

[ nees ]

/ nis /

noun

a port in and the capital of Alpes-Maritimes, in southeastern France, on the Mediterranean: known as a vacation resort.

Origin of Nice

From French, (Provençal Niça ), from Latin Nīcaea, from Greek Nīkaía, proper noun use of adjective nīkaía “victorious,” from nī́kē “victory”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nice in a sentence

A design that matches the gaming equipment is always a nice bonus.
Best adjustable desks: Stand or sit with double-duty office furniture|PopSci Commerce Team|February 26, 2021|Popular-Science
We don’t recommend relying on magic scrapers in areas where thick ice and heavy snow are a regular occurrence, but it’s nice to have them around for lighter snowstorms.
Best ice scraper: Hassle-free ways to get rid of snow and ice|PopSci Commerce Team|February 26, 2021|Popular-Science
It took everything I saved up and sacrificed, but now we got a nice little place going on.
How the Passion of BBQ Saved a Town|Joshua Eferighe|February 26, 2021|Ozy
The spicy version, with a nice complex burn in the seasoning, is even better.
Where does the new McDonald’s chicken sandwich rank? Turns out, the Arches fall flat.|Emily Heil|February 25, 2021|Washington Post

This particular tool is inexpensive, available in two sizes, and has a nice ergonomic handle.
The best knife sharpener to keep your blades safe and effective|Edmund Torr|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
From there we took the train to Nice, France, but the French border control caught us and sent us back to Italy.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Another beautiful Eminor number, with a nice shift up to the major for the chorus.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Champagne, which is also acidic, offers a nice complement to anything from tuna tartare to beef bourguignon.
Champagne: You’re Drinking It All Wrong|Kayleigh Kulp|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And there are a few nice things buried beneath the rubble that I could use in my apartment.
I’m a Digital Hoarder|Lizzie Crocker|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was also nice to have a place where my family and friends could see what was going on in my life.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’|Amy Grantham|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is more of artfulness in the flatteries which appear to involve a calculating intention to say the nice agreeable thing.
Children's Ways|James Sully
I don't care, it ain't nice, and I wonder aunt brought us to such a place.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
And right after that, some nice sour milk would come splashing down into the trough of the pen.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
The boy backed away from him, and stood a little distance off, holding out a nice, juicy potato this time.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
"I don't think that is a very nice taste," said Davy, beginning to feel very uneasy.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

British Dictionary definitions for nice (1 of 3)

nice

/ (naɪs) /

adjective

pleasant or commendablea nice day

kind or friendlya nice gesture of help

good or satisfactorythey made a nice job of it

subtle, delicate, or discriminatinga nice point in the argument

precise; skilfula nice fit

rare fastidious; respectablehe was not too nice about his methods

obsolete

foolish or ignorant
delicate
shy; modest
wanton

nice and pleasinglyit's nice and cool

Derived forms of nice

nicely, adverbniceness, nounnicish, adjective

Word Origin for nice

C13 (originally: foolish): from Old French nice simple, silly, from Latin nescius ignorant, from nescīre to be ignorant; see nescience

British Dictionary definitions for nice (2 of 3)

Nice

/ (French nis) /

noun

a city in SE France, on the Mediterranean: a leading resort of the French Riviera; founded by Phocaeans from Marseille in about the 3rd century bc . Pop: 342 738 (1999)

British Dictionary definitions for nice (3 of 3)

NICE

/ (naɪs) /

n acronym for

(in Britain) National Institute for Clinical Excellence: a body established in 1999 to provide authoritative guidance on current best practice in medicine and to promote high-quality cost-effective medical treatment in the NHS

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for nice

Nice

[ (nees) ]

City in southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea.

notes for Nice

Nice is the most famous resort of the French Riviera.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.