nicer; nicest
1
: giving pleasure or joy : good and enjoyable
I hope you all had a nice time.
What a nice [=pleasant] surprise!
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.
It's supposed to be a nice day tomorrow. = The weather should be nice tomorrow.
(US) Thank you. Have a nice day! [=goodbye]
"Hello, my name is Sara." "It's nice to meet you, Sara."
It's nice to see you, Luis. How have you been?
—often used with another adjective for emphasisa nice clear sky [=a sky that is nice because it is clear]
nice green grass
The hotel has nice big rooms.
a nice fresh salad
some nice hot soup
The soup is nice and hot.
Make sure your room's nice and clean.
The library is always nice and quiet.
2
: attractive or of good quality
nice restaurants
a nice car/house
She wears the nicest clothes.
She looks nice. [=she is attractive]
He looks nice in his new suit.
It's a nice idea [=the idea is a good one], but I don't think it'll work.
3
: kind, polite, and friendly
She is a really nice person.
He's such a nice young man.
He said some very nice things about you.
It's nice of you to call.
Try to be nice to each other, okay?
That wasn't a very nice thing to do.
How nice of you to remember my birthday!
As they say, "Nice guys finish last." [=you must act in a selfish way if you want to win a competition]
4
: acting in a way that is correct according to social or moral rules : proper and well-behaved
What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?
They have such nice children.
5
: done very well
That was a nice [=great, outstanding] shot!
Nice work!
They've done a nice job fixing up the house.
—sometimes used in an ironic way to say that something was not good or not done wellWhat a nice mess we've made of things!
Nice try, but you're not going to trick me this time.
You crashed her car? Oh, nice going. [=that was a stupid thing to do]
6
formal
: involving a small difference : difficult to notice or recognize
There is a nice distinction between those two words.
Cite this Entry
“Nice.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/nice. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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