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What is the difference between lovely and nice?

lovely | nice |

Nice is a synonym of lovely.



In obsolete terms the difference between lovely and nice

is that lovely is loving, filled with love while nice is doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.

As adjectives the difference between lovely and nice

is that lovely is beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner while nice is silly, ignorant; foolish.

As a noun lovely

is an attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.

As an adverb nice is

nicely.

As an interjection nice is

used to signify a job well done.

As a verb nice is

to run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.

As a proper noun Nice is

a city in southeast France on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, capital of the department of Alpes-Maritimes.

lovely

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) lovely, luvelich, lufli, from (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)
  • Beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner.
  • It's a lovely day and the sun is shining.
    The music box plays a lovely melody.
    The castle garden enchants visitors with its lovely blooms.
  • * Robert of Brunne
  • Not one so fair of face, of speech so lovely .
  • Very nice, wonderful.
  • It would be lovely to have a little more money to spend.
  • (obsolete) Inspiring love or friendship; amiable.
  • * Shakespeare
  • a most lovely gentlemanlike man
  • (obsolete) Loving, filled with love.
  • * Chaucer
  • Many a lovely look on them he cast.
  • * Shakespeare
  • a lovely kiss
    Synonyms
    * lovable * lovesome * loving
    Derived terms
    * lovelily * loveliness

    Noun

    (lovelies)
  • An attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.
  • a calendar depicting young lovelies in bikinis
  • Goodbye, my lovely .
  • A lovely object. (rfex)
  • Synonyms
    * pretty, darling

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) lovely, loflik, from (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Worthy to be praised.
  • Anagrams

    *

    nice

    English

    Alternative forms

    * nyc (non-standard)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) nice, nyce, nys, from (etyl) nice, niche, .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (obsolete) Silly, ignorant; foolish.
  • *, II.2:
  • 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.
  • * 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 in my dealings with the remainder.
  • (obsolete) Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict.
  • * 1818 , (Jane Austen), (Persuasion) :
  • Good company requires only birth, education and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice . Birth and good manners are essential.
  • Showing]] or [[require, requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle.
  • * 1914 : (Saki), :
  • "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 os 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.
  • (obsolete) Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.
  • * 1598 , (William Shakespeare), , IV.1:
  • To set so rich a maine / On the nice hazard of one doubtfull houre? It were not good.
  • * 1822 , T. Creevey, Reminiscences , 28 Jul.:
  • It has been a damned nice thing - the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life.
  • Respectable; virtuous.
  • Pleasant, satisfactory.
  • * 1998 , (Baha Men) -
  • 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."
  • Of a person: friendly, attractive.
  • With "and", having intensive effect: extremely.
  • * , chapter=8
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=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.}}
    Quotations
    * 1710 , (Jonathan Swift), 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 , , (The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case) *: Here's another nice mess you've gotten us into. * 1973 , Cockerel Chorus, Nice One, Cyril! *: Nice one, Cyril!
    Usage notes
    Sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite or to connote excess.
    Synonyms
    * charming, delightful, friendly, kind, lovely, pleasant, sweet * charming, delightful, lovely, pleasant * (having a pleasant taste or aroma) appetising/appetizing, delicious, moreish (informal), scrummy (slang), scrumptious (slang), tasty * (subtle) fine, subtle
    Antonyms
    * horrible, horrid, nasty * horrible, horrid, nasty * (having a pleasant taste or aroma) awful, disgusting, foul, horrible, horrid, nasty, nauseating, putrid, rancid, rank, sickening, distasteful, gross, unsatisfactory * naughty
    Derived terms
    * nice and + adjective * nice and easy * nice guy * nice guys finish last * nicely * niceness * nice round number * nicety * sugar and spice and everything nice

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (colloquial) Nicely.
  • Children, play nice .
    He dresses real nice .

    Interjection

    (en-interj)!
  • Used to signify a job well done.
  • Nice! I couldn't have done better.
  • Used to signify approval.
  • Is that your new car? Nice!

    Etymology 2

    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.

    Verb

    (nic)
  • (transitive, computing, Unix) To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.
  • Derived terms
    * renice