More pleasant, agreeable, or satisfactory than something else. The comparative form of nice, indicating a higher degree of positive qualities.
From nice, which originally came from Latin nescius meaning 'ignorant.' The word underwent remarkable semantic change - from 'ignorant' to 'foolish' to 'particular' to 'refined' to our modern 'pleasant.' One of English's most dramatic meaning shifts.
The word 'nice' has completely flipped its meaning over 700 years - it once meant 'stupid' or 'foolish.' This makes 'have a nice day' historically equivalent to saying 'have a stupid day.' It's a perfect example of how language evolves through misunderstanding and social change.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.