a person who professes or exhibits excessive modesty, prudishness, or the like.
too much of a nice nelly to have any fun.
characterized by prudishness or excessive modesty.
The entrance of his nice-nelly friend stopped the flow of risqué stories.
being a euphemism; euphemistic.
nice-nelly expressions.
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Melodrama has become a word to frighten nice-nelly playwrights with; but, beyond its own power to excite, it can stir up genuine drama of character and will.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
