nice

[ nahys ]
/ naɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR nice ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, nic·er, nic·est.

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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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Idioms for 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

1250–1300; Middle English: foolish, stupid < Old French: silly, simple < Latin nescius ignorant, incapable, equivalent to ne- negative prefix + sci- (stem of scīre to know; see science) + -us adj. 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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nice

nice niceness nicety nice Nice gneiss nice (see usage note at the current entry)

Words nearby nice

nicaean, nicam, nicaragua, nicaraguan, niccolite, nice, nice guys finish last, nice nelly, nice-looking, nice-nelly, nice-nellyism

Definition for nice (2 of 3)

Nice
[ nees ]
/ nis /

noun

a port in and the capital of Alpes-Maritimes, in SE France, on the Mediterranean: resort.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Nice

nice Nice

Definition for nice (3 of 3)

Alpes-Maritimes
[ alp-ma-ree-teem ]
/ alp ma riˈtim /

noun

a department in SE France. 1527 sq. mi. (3955 sq. km). Capital: Nice.

Content related to nice

What’s So Wrong With “Nice”? Why does the word "nice" rub us the wrong way? Doesn't every parent just wish you would meet a nice person?
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What’s So Wrong With “Nice”? Why does the word "nice" rub us the wrong way? Doesn't every parent just wish you would meet a nice person?
READ MORE

Words related to nice

cordial, kind, good, okay, fair, superior, swell, welcome, winning, lovely, friendly, ducky, trim, right, dainty, tidy, hairsplitting, particular, fine, minute

Example sentences from the Web for nice

British Dictionary definitions for nice (1 of 4)

nice
/ (naɪs) /

adjective

Derived forms of nice

nicely, adverb niceness, noun nicish, 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 4)

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 4)

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

British Dictionary definitions for nice (4 of 4)

Alpes-Maritimes
/ (French alp maritim) /

noun

a department of the SE corner of France in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region. Capital: Nice. Pop: 1 045 973 (2003 est). Area: 4298 sq km (1676 sq miles)

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.