nice

Everyday

1. Nice means pleasant, enjoyable or good: «a nice day». tree →
2. Nice means kind and friendly: «She is nice to everyone». tree →
3. Nice can mean good-looking or attractive. tree →
4. Nice can be used to sound sarcastic: «Nice one!» after a mistake. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, «nice» is one of the commonest words of praise: «Nice to meet you», «Have a nice day», «That's nice of you». In writing lessons, teachers ask pupils to choose stronger, more exact words instead of «nice» (delicious, sunny, generous). In safety, a stranger who seems nice may still be unsafe; being nice does not mean you must obey. Phrases: «nice and warm» (pleasantly warm), «nice to meet you».

Examples

• Have a nice day! tree →
• It's nice to meet you. tree →
• That was nice of you to help. tree →
• She's always nice to the younger children. tree →
• It's a nice sunny morning. tree →
• The soup is nice and hot. tree →
• Your drawing looks really nice. tree →
• Try a stronger word than «nice» in your story. tree →

Note

Comparison: nicer, nicest. Adverb: «nicely». Do not confuse «nice» with «niece» (your brother's or sister's daughter). «Nice» (with capital N) is also a city in France, said «neece».

Early Modern English

Meaning

Exact, fine, or careful; sometimes showing fussiness or foolishness. tree →

Then and now

Today it means pleasant or good; the old sense (precise, fussy) is no longer used, and the sentences use the modern sense.

Examples

• "'You er nice feller, you is! (Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings) tree →
• Good little dog--nice little doggie, then! (The Jungle Book) tree →
• "Here is a nice clover blossom." (Tanglewood Tales) tree →

Note

Today: precise, fussy.