nice

UK: 'nice': /ˈnaɪs/; 'Nice': /ˈniːs/

US: /naɪs/

US: 'nice': (nīs); 'Nice': (nēs)

Inflections of 'nice' (adj):

nicer

adj comparative

nicest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

nice /naɪs/   adj., nic•er, nic•est. 

1. pleasing;
   agreeable;
   delightful:
   We had a nice visit.
   [It + be + ~ + to + verb]
   It was so nice to see you again.
2. kind;
   thoughtful:
   [be + ~ (+ to)] Be nice to guests.
3. requiring or showing great skill, care, or tact:
   a nice handling of a crisis.
4. fine;
   subtle:
   a nice distinction.
5. refined;
   discriminating:
   a nice sense of color.

Idioms

6. Idioms nice and, (used with an adjective to express stronger sufficiency, pleasure, comfort, or the like):
   It's nice and warm in here.

nice•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

nice  (nīs), adj., nic•er, nic•est. 

1. pleasing;
   agreeable;
   delightful:
   a nice visit.
2. amiably pleasant;
   kind:
   They are always nice to strangers.
3. characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy:
   nice workmanship;
   a nice shot;
   a nice handling of a crisis.
4. showing or indicating very small differences;
   minutely accurate, as instruments:
   a job that requires nice measurements.
5. minute, fine, or subtle:
   a nice distinction.
6. having or showing delicate, accurate perception:
   a nice sense of color.
7. refined in manners, language, etc.:
   Nice people wouldn't do such things.
8. virtuous;
   respectable;
   decorous:
   a nice girl.
9. suitable or proper:
   That was not a nice remark.
10. carefully neat in dress, habits, etc.
11. (esp. of food) dainty or delicate.
12. having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes:
    They're much too nice in their dining habits to enjoy an outdoor barbecue.
13. [Obs.] coy, shy, or reluctant.
14. [Obs.] unimportant;
    trivial.
15. [Obs.] wanton.
16. Idioms make nice, to behave in a friendly, ingratiating, or conciliatory manner.
17. Idioms nice and, sufficiently:
    It's nice and warm in here.

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

nice′ly, adv. 
nice′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. friendly.
• 3. delicate, exact, exacting, critical, scrupulous, discriminating, discerning, particular.
• 7. polite.
• 10, 12. finical.

Antonyms

• 1. unpleasant.
• 2. unkind.
• 3. careless.
• 9. improper.

Usage

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.

Nice  (nēs), n. 

1. Place Names a port in and the capital of Alpes-Maritimes, in SE France, on the Mediterranean: resort. 346,620.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

nice / naɪs/ adjective

1. pleasant or commendable: a nice day
2. kind or friendly: a nice gesture of help
3. good or satisfactory: they made a nice job of it
4. subtle, delicate, or discriminating: a nice point in the argument
5. precise; skilful: a nice fit
6. fastidious; respectable: he was not too nice about his methods
7. foolish or ignorant
8. delicate
9. shy; modest
10. wanton

Etymology: 13th Century (originally: foolish): from Old French nice simple, silly, from Latin nescius ignorant, from nescīre to be ignorant; see nescience

ˈnicely adverb

ˈniceness noun

ˈnicish, ˈniceish adjective

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

NICE / naɪs/ acronym:noun

1. (in England and Wales) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: a body that provides guidance on best practice in medicine and treatments in the NHS

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Nice / nis/ noun

1. 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: 348 721 (2007)