nice

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Pleasant, enjoyable or attractive to experience.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be or look: a nice day, the soup smells nice.

   Patterns

   • have a nice time
   • it is nice to do something

   We had a nice afternoon at the park.

   It was nice to see my old friends again.

   That is a nice coat; where did you buy it?

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Kind, friendly and considerate toward other people.

   Grammar: Often followed by to or about: nice to strangers, nice about it.

   Patterns

   • be nice to someone
   • be nice about something

   The neighbors are really nice and always say hello.

   It was nice of you to bring soup.

   Be nice to your little sister.

3. 3adjectivebefore a nounformalold-fashioned

   Precise and subtle, so that careful attention is needed to notice it.

   Grammar: Used before a noun in careful writing: a nice distinction.

   Patterns

   • a nice distinction

   The lawyer drew a nice distinction between the two clauses.

   There is a nice balance between sweet and sour in this sauce.

   It was a nice point of grammar that few people noticed.

Word forms

Common combinations

nice and warm

The room was nice and warm after the cold walk.

nice to meet you

Nice to meet you; I have heard a lot about you.

nice weather

We are hoping for nice weather this weekend.

play nice

The two companies agreed to play nice for the sake of the project.

nice try

Nice try, but the answer is still no.

have a nice day

The cashier smiled and said, have a nice day.

Synonyms and how they differ

pleasant

Pleasant is a little more formal than nice and often describes places, weather or manner.

kind

Kind focuses on caring behavior toward others, while nice can also describe things and experiences.

lovely

Lovely is warmer and stronger than nice, and it is especially common in British speech.

agreeable

Agreeable is formal and suggests something is acceptable or easy to get along with, whereas nice is casual and broader.

Opposites

Word family

nicely adverb

in a pleasant or satisfactory way

niceness noun

the quality of being pleasant or kind

nicety noun

a fine detail, or a small courtesy

nicer adjective

comparative form

Commonly confused: nice or niece?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “nice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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