Etymology

nicely

N1I1C3E1L1Y4

Today it means: Fastidiously; carefully. Full definition →

First used 16th–18th c.Middle English nycely
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The story

  1. Middle English · inherited fromnycely
  2. English todaynicely

From Middle English nycely; equivalent to nice + -ly.

First known use, by meaning

  • 16th–18th c. Fastidiously; carefully.
  • from 17th c. Precisely; with fine discernment or judgement.
  • from 18th c. Pleasantly; satisfactorily.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.