nice-nelly

or nice-Nel·ly

[ nahys-nel-ee ]

/ ˈnaɪsˈnɛl i /

adjective

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.

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Nearby words

niccolite, nice, nice guys finish last, nice nelly, nice-looking, nice-nelly, nice-nellyism, nicely, nicene, nicene council, nicene creed

Origin of nice-nelly

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Definition for nice-nelly (2 of 2)

nice nelly

or nice Nelly

[ nel-ee ]

/ ˈnɛl i /

noun

a person who professes or exhibits excessive modesty, prudishness, or the like: too much of a nice nelly to have any fun.

nice-nellyism(def 2).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019