Wiktionary

nice

See also: Nice, NICE, -nice, and niče

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).

AdjectiveEdit

nice (comparative nicer, superlative nicest)

  1. Pleasant, satisfactory. [from 18th c.]
    • 1998, Baha Men – “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
      When the party was nice, the party was jumpin' (Hey, Yippie, Yi, Yo)
    • 2008, Rachel Cooke, The Guardian, 20 Apr.:
      "What's difficult is when you think someone is saying something nice about you, but you're not quite sure."
  2. Of a person: friendly, attractive. [from 18th c.]
  3. Respectable; virtuous. [from 18th c.]
    What is a nice person like you doing in a place like this?
  4. (with and) Shows that the given adjective is desirable, or acts as a mild intensifier; pleasantly, quite. [from 18th c.]
    The soup is nice and hot.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      We toted in the wood and got the fire going nice and comfortable. Lord James still set in one of the chairs and Applegate had cabbaged the other and was hugging the stove.
  5. Showing refinement or delicacy, proper, seemly
    a nice way of putting it
  6. (obsolete) Silly, ignorant; foolish. [14th–17th c.]
  7. (now rare) Particular in one's conduct; scrupulous, painstaking; choosy. [from 14th c.]
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 2, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
      There is nothing he seemed to be more carefull of than of his honesty, and observe a kinde of decencie of his person, and orderly decorum in his habits, were it on foot or on horsebacke. He was exceeding nice in performing his word or promise.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
      Mr Blifil, I am confident, understands himself better than to think of seeing my niece any more this morning, after what hath happened. Women are of a nice contexture; and our spirits, when disordered, are not to be recomposed in a moment.
    • 1999, Joyce Crick, translating Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Oxford 2008, p.83:
      But if I dispense with the dreams of neurotics, my main material, I cannot be too nice [translating wählerisch] in my dealings with the remainder.
  8. (dated) Having particular tastes; fussy, fastidious. [from 14th c.]
  9. (obsolete) Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict. [16th–19th c.]
    • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 14:
      “Well, my dear,” he deliberately began, “considering we never saw her before, she seems a very pretty sort of young lady; and I dare say she was very much pleased with you. She speaks a little too quick. A little quickness of voice there is which rather hurts the ear. But I believe I am nice; I do not like strange voices; and nobody speaks like you and poor Miss Taylor. ..."
    • 1818, Jane Austen, Persuasion, chapter 16:
      "Good company requires only birth, education and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice. Birth and good manners are essential."
  10. Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle. [from 16th c.]
    • 1914: Saki, Laura:
      "It's her own funeral, you know," said Sir Lulworth; "it's a nice point in etiquette how far one ought to show respect to one's own mortal remains."
    • 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, p.131:
      It would be a nice theological point to try and establish whether Ophis is Moslem or gnostic.
    • 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador 2007, p.242:
      Why it should have attained such longevity is a nice question.
  11. (obsolete) Easily injured; delicate; dainty.
  12. (obsolete) Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky. [16th–19th c.]
    • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
      [W]ere it good / To ſet the exact wealth of al our ſtates / Al at one caſt? to ſet ſo rich a maine / On the nice hazard of one doubtfull houre?
      Is it good / To bet all of our wealth / On one throw of the dice? To place so high a stake / On the risky hazard of one doubtful hour?
    • 1822, T. Creevey, Reminiscences, 28 Jul.:
      It has been a damned nice thing - the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life.
Usage notesEdit

Sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite or to connote excess:

  • 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Examiner No. XIV
    I have strictly observed this rule, and my imagination this minute represents before me a certain great man famous for this talent, to the constant practice of which he owes his twenty years’ reputation of the most skilful head in England, for the management of nice affairs.
  • 1930, H.M. Walker, The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case
    Here's another nice mess you've gotten us into.
  • 1973, Cockerel Chorus, Nice One, Cyril!
    Nice one, Cyril!
SynonymsEdit
AntonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Terms derived from nice (adjective)
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
  • → Dutch: nice
  • → German: nice
  • → Danish: nice
  • → Japanese: ナイス
  • → Swedish: najs, nice
  • → Norwegian:
    • Norwegian Bokmål: nice
TranslationsEdit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

AdverbEdit

nice (comparative nicer, superlative nicest)

  1. (colloquial) Nicely.
    Children, play nice.
    He dresses real nice.
    • 2002, Gina Riley; Jane Turner, That's Unusual: Scripts from Kath and Kim, Series 2, page 245:
      This riesling's going down nice.

InterjectionEdit

nice!

  1. Used to signify a job well done.
    Nice! I couldn't have done better.
  2. Used to signify approval.
    Is that your new car? Nice!
TranslationsEdit

NounEdit

nice (uncountable)

  1. niceness.
    • 2000, Dana Stabenow, Midnight Come Again, →ISBN, page 111:
      She had refused as kindly as she know how, using up as much nice as she had energy for because she was glad of his company when three o'clock rolled around and she started thinking about September.
    • 2013, Todd Whitaker, What Great Teachers Do Differently: 17 Things That Matter Most, →ISBN:
      We could debate forever about whether we have enough of one or too much of another. But I know one thing for sure: We never have too much nice.
    • 2014, Jean Illsley Clarke, Connie Dawson, &David Bredehoft, How Much Is Too Much?, →ISBN:
      It is the absence of rules and too much nice that are more likely to produce terror.

Etymology 2Edit

Name of a Unix program used to invoke a script or program with a specified priority, with the implication that running at a lower priority is "nice" (kind, etc.) because it leaves more resources for others.

VerbEdit

nice (third-person singular simple present nices, present participle nicing, simple past and past participle niced)

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
  1. (transitive, computing, Unix) To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.
Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

AnagramsEdit

CzechEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

nice

  1. dative/locative singular of nika

AnagramsEdit

DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from English nice.

AdjectiveEdit

nice (used only predicatively, not comparable)

  1. (slang) nice
    Haar nieuwe album is echt nice.
    Her new album is really nice.

FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old French nice, inherited from Latin nescius.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

nice (plural nices)

  1. (archaic) candid, naive
    • 1907, Colette, La retraite sentimentale, page 41:
      Oui, crédulement, vous ne comprenez pas? Entendez donc que j'ai cru, plus nice qu'une pensionnaire, au pouvoir exclusif de cet inconnu que je fuyais !
      (please add an English translation of this quote)

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

Unadapted borrowing from English nice.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

nice (strong nominative masculine singular nicer, comparative (rare) nicer, superlative (extremely rare) am nicesten)

  1. (colloquial) good, nice
    • 2020 December 8, Sara Tomšić, “Die Zukunft, das ist die grüne Samtcouch”, in ZEITmagazin‎[2]:
      Na gut. Und auch, wenn ich nur das eine Regal hatte – in der Schule konnte ich durch dich mitreden. Ja, Pax, voll nice und geräumig, der Poäng-Sessel, mega gemütlich.
      Fine. And even if I only had that one shelf – thanks to you, I had a say in conversations at school. Oh, Pax, all nice and spacious, and the Poäng armchair, super comfortable.
    • 2021, “Feeling”, performed by Fatoni & Dexter:
      Ich steh' im Club / Seh' ziemlich nice aus / Ah, wobei, die Schuhe / Ne, scheiß drauf, ich seh' nice aus
      I'm at the club / Lookin' pretty good / Actually, these shoes / Nah, fuck it, I look good

DeclensionEdit

Positive forms of nice
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist nice sie ist nice es ist nice sie sind nice
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative nicer nice nices nice
genitive nicen nicer nicen nicer
dative nicem nicer nicem nicen
accusative nicen nice nices nice
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der nice die nice das nice die nicen
genitive des nicen der nicen des nicen der nicen
dative dem nicen der nicen dem nicen den nicen
accusative den nicen die nice das nice die nicen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein nicer eine nice ein nices (keine) nicen
genitive eines nicen einer nicen eines nicen (keiner) nicen
dative einem nicen einer nicen einem nicen (keinen) nicen
accusative einen nicen eine nice ein nices (keine) nicen
Comparative forms of nice
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist nicer1 sie ist nicer1 es ist nicer1 sie sind nicer1
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative nicerer1 nicere1 niceres1 nicere1
genitive niceren1 nicerer1 niceren1 nicerer1
dative nicerem1 nicerer1 nicerem1 niceren1
accusative niceren1 nicere1 niceres1 nicere1
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der nicere1 die nicere1 das nicere1 die niceren1
genitive des niceren1 der niceren1 des niceren1 der niceren1
dative dem niceren1 der niceren1 dem niceren1 den niceren1
accusative den niceren1 die nicere1 das nicere1 die niceren1
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein nicerer1 eine nicere1 ein niceres1 (keine) niceren1
genitive eines niceren1 einer niceren1 eines niceren1 (keiner) niceren1
dative einem niceren1 einer niceren1 einem niceren1 (keinen) niceren1
accusative einen niceren1 eine nicere1 ein niceres1 (keine) niceren1

1Rare.

Superlative forms of nice
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am nicesten1 sie ist am nicesten1 es ist am nicesten1 sie sind am nicesten1
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative nicester1 niceste1 nicestes1 niceste1
genitive nicesten1 nicester1 nicesten1 nicester1
dative nicestem1 nicester1 nicestem1 nicesten1
accusative nicesten1 niceste1 nicestes1 niceste1
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der niceste1 die niceste1 das niceste1 die nicesten1
genitive des nicesten1 der nicesten1 des nicesten1 der nicesten1
dative dem nicesten1 der nicesten1 dem nicesten1 den nicesten1
accusative den nicesten1 die niceste1 das niceste1 die nicesten1
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein nicester1 eine niceste1 ein nicestes1 (keine) nicesten1
genitive eines nicesten1 einer nicesten1 eines nicesten1 (keiner) nicesten1
dative einem nicesten1 einer nicesten1 einem nicesten1 (keinen) nicesten1
accusative einen nicesten1 eine niceste1 ein nicestes1 (keine) nicesten1

1Extremely rare.

Further readingEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

AdjectiveEdit

nice

  1. Alternative form of nyce

TurkishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Ottoman Turkish نیچه‎ (nice, “how much”), from Proto-Turkic *nēče, equative form of *nē (“what”). See ne (“what”), cognate to Karakhanid ناجا‎ (nēčē, “how much”).

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

nice

  1. many
SynonymsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

Ultimately from Proto-Turkic *nē- (“interrogative archetype”).

AdverbEdit

nice

  1. (dialectal or poetic) how
SynonymsEdit
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