Nice

Pleasant and agreeable in a way that creates comfort or enjoyment.

Reach for it when giving light, everyday approval to an experience, object, or atmosphere

The shaded courtyard was a nice place to talk after lunch.

• everyday

  pleasant

  when the experience is agreeable without being exceptional

  not when Pleasant can sound cool or faintly dismissive in enthusiastic praise.

• warm

  delightful

  for something that actively gives joy or charm

  not when Delightful is stronger and more expressive than a merely agreeable experience.

• warm

  lovely

  when beauty, warmth, or affection deserves a little more feeling

  not when It may be too personal or decorative for a neutral professional evaluation.

• professional

  enjoyable

  when the specific benefit is that an activity gives pleasure

  not when It does not fit a person, object, or considerate action in every context.

Considerate and friendly toward other people.

Reach for it when describing ordinary kindness without claiming unusual generosity

It was nice of Omar to save a seat for the new student.

• playful

  sweet

  when affection makes a small gesture feel especially endearing

  not when It can sound patronizing when used about an adult's professional conduct.

• warm

  kind

  when concern for another person's well-being is the real quality

  not when Kind is a moral and relational claim, not a general word for pleasant things.

• professional

  considerate

  when someone anticipates and respects another person's needs

  not when A person can be nice in manner without showing this level of thought.

• formal

  amiable

  for a consistently friendly, easygoing disposition

  not when The formal register is stiff for an ordinary text or card.

• unpleasant
• unkind
• rude

• nice gesture

  Bringing an extra umbrella was a nice gesture.

• nice person

  He is a nice person who remembers every new volunteer's name.

• nice surprise

  A handwritten note was a nice surprise at the end of a difficult week.

• Nicely adv.
• Niceness n.

• merriam-webster, adjective sense 2a: pleasing or agreeable ↗opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
• merriam-webster, adjective sense 1: kind or polite ↗opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.