NICENESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does niceness mean? 

• NICENESS (noun)
  The noun NICENESS has 3 senses:

1. a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage

2. the quality of nice

3. the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze

  Familiarity information: NICENESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NICENESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A courteous manner that respects accepted social usage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

niceness; politeness

Hypernyms ("niceness" is a kind of...):

courtesy; good manners (a courteous manner)

Attribute:

polite (showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.)

impolite (not polite)

Derivation:

nice (exhibiting courtesy and politeness)

nice (socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of nice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("niceness" is a kind of...):

pleasantness; sweetness (the quality of giving pleasure)

Attribute:

nice (pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance)

Antonym:

nastiness (the quality of being highly unpleasant)

Derivation:

nice (pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of being difficult to detect or analyze

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

niceness; subtlety

Context example:

you had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew

Hypernyms ("niceness" is a kind of...):

difficultness; difficulty (the quality of being difficult)

 Context examples 

Almost unconsciously she had now undone the parcel he had just put into her hand, and seeing before her, in all the niceness of jewellers' packing, a plain gold chain, perfectly simple and neat, she could not help bursting forth again, Oh, this is beautiful indeed!

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)