nice

/naɪs/ (bre, ipa) · [nˈaɪs] /naɪs/ (ame, ipa) · [nˈaɪs] /ˈnīs/ (ame, mw)

nice — adjective

  • nicepositive
  • nicercomparative
  • nicestsuperlative

1. giving someone a feeling of enjoyment or comfort; not unpleasant in any way.

1.形容詞A1
釋義

giving someone a feeling of enjoyment or comfort; not unpleasant in any way.

例句

Lakshmi spent a nice afternoon walking along the beach with her cousins.

common pattern: nice + noun (afternoon, day, meal)

The coffee shop on Maple Street has a really nice atmosphere for studying.

同義詞
  • pleasant

    slightly more formal; similar everyday meaning

  • lovely

    warmer and more personal, especially in British English

  • enjoyable

    focuses more on having fun than on general comfort

反義詞
  • unpleasant

    direct opposite for experiences and situations

  • horrible

    much stronger negative; implies real dislike or discomfort

文法句型

nice + noun

be + nice

nice to + verb

用法筆記

Frequently used as a general positive evaluation when no stronger adjective is needed. Common in casual speech, greetings, and farewells such as 'have a nice weekend'.

常見錯誤

❌The food was very nice tasted.
✅The food tasted very nice.
💡adjective follows the linking verb, not before its past participle.

2. used before another adjective or adverb to show that something feels pleasantly

2.形容詞A2
釋義

used before another adjective or adverb to show that something feels pleasantly so, especially in the fixed pattern 'nice and ...'.

例句

Talia pulled the blanket up to her chin; the bed was nice and warm.

fixed pattern: nice and + adjective

Kian wanted the soup nice and hot before serving his guests.

同義詞
  • pleasantly

    more formal; suitable in writing where 'nice and' sounds chatty

  • comfortably

    works when the second word describes ease or warmth

文法句型

nice and + adjective

nice and + adverb

用法筆記

Usually appears in the frame 'nice and + adjective/adverb'. It works like an intensifier, so 'nice and warm' means pleasantly warm, not 'both nice and warm'. Distinguish from sense 1, where nice directly describes a person or thing.

常見錯誤

❌The water is nicely warm.
✅The water is nice and warm.
💡this intensifier uses 'nice and', not 'nicely'.

3. behaving in a friendly, polite, and thoughtful way towards other people.

3.形容詞A1
釋義

behaving in a friendly, polite, and thoughtful way towards other people.

例句

Hoa was really nice to the new student on her first day.

pattern: be nice to + person

It was so nice of Astrid to drive her neighbour home.

pattern: it is nice of + person + to + verb

同義詞
  • kind

    stronger and more sincere; nice can sound lighter

  • friendly

    focuses on warm social behaviour rather than helpful action

  • polite

    narrower; mainly about good manners

反義詞
  • mean

    direct opposite when talking about treatment of others

  • rude

    focuses on bad manners more than lack of kindness

文法句型

nice to + person

it is nice of someone to + verb

be nice about + situation

用法筆記

Use 'nice to' for how someone treats another person, and 'nice of' for judging a helpful action. Distinguish from sense 1: there, nice describes a pleasant thing or experience; here, it describes a person's manner.

常見錯誤

❌He was nice with me.
✅He was nice to me.
💡use 'to', not 'with', for the person receiving the kindness.

4. describing a difference, judgement, or piece of work that depends on very small

4.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a difference, judgement, or piece of work that depends on very small details and careful precision.

例句

The judge drew a nice distinction between an error and a crime.

common collocation: a nice distinction

Christopher raised a nice point about how the contract was worded.

同義詞
  • subtle

    the closest modern equivalent for small, hard-to-see differences

  • fine

    very close in fixed phrases such as 'a fine distinction'

  • delicate

    emphasises careful handling and sensitivity

反義詞
  • crude

    opposite when a judgement or repair lacks precision

文法句型

a nice + noun (point, distinction, balance, repair)

用法筆記

Formal and often tied to fixed collocations such as 'a nice distinction' or 'a nice point'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about fine judgement or delicate execution, not about something simply being pleasant.

常見錯誤

❌She made a nice argument' (meaning 'a pleasant argument').
✅She made a subtle argument.
💡in this formal sense, nice refers to fine judgement or precision, not simple pleasantness.

5. too hard to satisfy because you care too much about small details, taste, or pro

5.形容詞C2
釋義

too hard to satisfy because you care too much about small details, taste, or proper standards.

例句

The old hostess was too nice to serve tea in chipped cups.

too nice to + verb for excessive fastidiousness

Our aunt is very nice in her tastes and dislikes cheap perfume.

同義詞
  • fastidious

    closest formal synonym; strongly suggests concern with small details

  • fussy

    more everyday and slightly more critical

  • picky

    informal and strongly about being hard to satisfy

反義詞
  • easygoing

    describes someone who does not worry about small details

文法句型

be + nice

too nice to + verb

nice about + detail

用法筆記

Rare and old-fashioned. It usually sounds critical, suggesting that someone is overly particular or hard to please about small matters. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is not kind at all.

常見錯誤

❌The guest was nice' (meaning 'picky').
✅The guest was picky.
💡in modern everyday English, nice almost never means 'hard to satisfy'.