nice

adjective

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\ ˈnīs

nicer; nicest

Definition of nice

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : polite, kind a very nice person That's nice of you to say.

2a : pleasing, agreeable a nice time a nice person

b : appropriate, fitting not a nice word for a formal occasion She always wears nice clothes.

c : well-executed nice shot

3a : socially acceptable : well-bred from a nice family

b : virtuous, respectable … I met nice girls whose skirts reached the ground.— Jack London

4 : possessing, marked by, or demanding great or excessive precision (see precision entry 1 sense 2a) and delicacy nice measurements a nice distinction between these two words

5a : showing fastidious or finicky tastes : particular too nice a palate to enjoy junk food

b : exacting in requirements or standards : punctilious a nice code of honor

6 obsolete : trivial

7 obsolete

a : wanton, dissolute

b : coy, reticent

nice

adverb

Definition of nice (Entry 2 of 3)

informal

: in a nice or pleasing way They plan to fix up the place real nice. He still had his bald spots, but the fur that he did have cleaned up nice.— Kate DiCamillo In fact, the action is part of what made the findings redundant. The action mattered because it has, for the past two years, forced Microsoft to play nice. [=to behave nicely; to be cooperative and unaggressive in dealing with others]— Gary Rivlin Bipartisanship may also be elusive if it means a hostile GOP majority has to play nice with a President it has tried to kick out of office.— Amy Borrus et al.

Nice

geographical name

\ ˈnēs

variants: or ancient Nicaea \ nī-ˈsē-ə

Definition of Nice (Entry 3 of 3)

city and port on the Mediterranean Sea in southeastern France population 343,304

Other Words from nice Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about nice

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Choose the Right Synonym for nice

Adjective

correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth. correct usually implies freedom from fault or error. correct answers socially correct dress accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care. an accurate description exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth. exact measurements precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation. precise calibration nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination. makes nice distinctions right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault. the right thing to do

Examples of nice in a Sentence

Adjective I hope you all had a nice time. It's so nice to see you again. It's nice to be back home. It's nice to know that you're all right. It would be nice to try something different. We had a very nice dinner. “Hello, my name is Sara.” “It's nice to meet you, Sara.” It's nice to see you, Luis. How have you been? She wears the nicest clothes. He looks nice in his new suit.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But a nice, simple start for a quarterback who simply took what was there and played his role. — Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan film study: Brandon Peters turned heads, but his OL dominated," 30 Oct. 2017 And there’s a nice jumping off point here in the numbers that were presented to the general assembly in Manhattan this week, and that The MMQB obtained. — Albert Breer, SI.com, "Declining NFL Television Ratings Presented at Meetings Grabbed Attention of Owners," 19 Oct. 2017 In southern Ohio, the triple nickel-Route 555-is a nice, long, windy road. — Grant Segall, cleveland.com, "Brian Schaffran revs up Skidmark Garage and Newburgh Heights council: My Cleveland (photos, video)," 19 Oct. 2017 The cod taco was unexpectedly and deliciously spicy with a nice, lingering after-burn. — Alaska Dispatch News, "At 907 Alehouse & Grill, the emphasis is on American comfort food classics," 18 Oct. 2017 And Landon executes some nice, albeit arbitrary stylistic flourishes that draw attention to the filmmaking process. — Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film / Paranormal / Women's Issues Happy Death Day isn’t just a horror movie, it’s a kids’ movie," 25 Oct. 2017 Our teacher is a nice, relaxed guy who tells the class to get onstage for a warm-up exercise and asks us to name our favorite movie. — Katie Sharer, Los Angeles Magazine, "What Improv Taught This 40-Something Mom," 20 Oct. 2017 Must be nice to go through life as a billionaire dreamer. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Incompetent Colts engaged in 3 seasons of wishful thinking about Andrew Luck," 2 Nov. 2017 Crushing your own spices is nice, but we like a finer consistency too. — Alex Delany, Bon Appetit, "Do Spices Go Bad? Well, Yeah, Kind of," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.