Wishy-Washy, Namby-Pamby, Mediocre …

Nice is a nice word that doesn’t pack a lot of punch.

Closely related to good, it embraces numerous connotations including

1. pleasant or delightful
2. congenial or kind
3. requiring precision or accuracy
4. subtle or fine
5. refined or cultured

Nice can be complimentary or derogatory, depending on context.

“That’s nice.” Jerome smiled and patted Kate on the shoulder.

“That’s nice.” Jerome sneered and gave Kate the finger.

How Many Instances of Nice Can You Find in Your WIP?

Disregard dialogue. Speech should sound realistic. However, the rest of your text will resonate better with readers if you remove nice wherever possible.

Let’s explore a few examples and analyze how we could revise them.

Example 1

It’s nice to be appreciated by my students.

It’s heartwarming to be appreciated by my students.

Heartwarming sets an uplifting mood. However, both sentences provide generalizations — tells that could be made stronger by showing.

Teacher #1: Whenever my students smile at me as they grasp a new concept, I tell myself that my humongous debt for eight years at university was worth every nickel.

Teacher #2: Teaching fills me with joy, especially when my students get that expression, that look of understanding. I can almost hear them shout “aha” in their heads.

The suggested edits paint word pictures with specifics that don’t shout “backstory.”

Example 2

Aaron was a nice guy.

Aaron was a sociable guy.

Although sociable suggests more than nice, it could represent either a positive or a negative impression. Let’s consider a couple of ways we could show more about Aaron.

Aaron #1: Aaron socialized with every chick on the street, ignoring me while he laughed and flirted.

Aaron #2: Aaron always stopped to talk with the homeless people on the street.

Two Aarons: one not so nice, the other compassionate.

Example 3

The scarf looked nice against Sofia’s cheeks.

The scarf looked becoming against Sofia’s cheeks.

Why does the scarf look nice or becoming? Can we create more compelling sentences?

Scarf #1: The blue of the silk scarf complemented the blush in Sofia’s cheeks.

Scarf #2: The muted reds of the chenille scarf matched Sofia’s rosy cheeks.

Now, readers will envision color and texture. The more senses we involve, the more striking the descriptions.

Example 4

The city contains several nice parks and playgrounds.

The city contains several peaceful parks and playgrounds.

Peaceful presents a better description, but a writer could substitute other adjectives.

City #1: The city boasts several lush parks and playgrounds.

City #2: The city is blessed with several large parks and playgrounds.

Lush and large provide different impressions that could segue into more details.

Example 5

It was a nice day.

It was a pleasant day.

Pleasant to a skier could mean sunny and cold after a night of snow. A surfer might welcome a windy day, but a snorkeler would prefer calm conditions.

Day #1: Marie gazed up the slope as she waited in line for the T-bar. Sunlight streamed through the treetops, glistening on the fresh snow. She inhaled the crisp air, and smiled.

Day #2: Marie gazed at the ocean. Wavelets rippled toward shore, reflecting sunlight that sparkled like tiny gems among the brilliant blues and greens. She inhaled the scent of seaweed, and grinned as she pulled on her snorkeling fins.

The appeal of the day is shown in both paragraphs without resorting to synonyms for nice.

Example 6

The apple tasted nice.

The apple tasted wonderful.

Why would a person enjoy an apple?

Apple #1: Melanie bit into the apple and chewed slowly, inhaling its aroma and savoring every delectable crunch.

Apple #2: The fragrance and delicious sweetness of the McIntosh apple reminded Melanie of Mom’s fresh-baked apple-crisp pies.

The edited sentences embrace multiple senses. Is your mouth watering?

Example 7

Renko always smelled nice.

Renko always smelled marvelous.

Does Renko smoke a pipe? Perhaps he wears a pheromone-based aftershave. Maybe he works in a candy shop.

Renko #1: Renko’s aftershave wafted through the room, a delicate musk that promised sensual delights to any woman who succumbed to his charms.

Renko #2: The aroma of licorice permeated Renko’s clothing, his hair, his breath. Salivating women flocked around him, like children hoping for treats on Halloween.

Specifics create intriguing situations that engage readers.

Example 8

Nat and Omar had a nice chat.

Nat and Omar had a sociable chat.

The impact of these sentences would prove stronger if we had some idea of Nat and Omar’s relationship. They could be estranged brothers, enemies, or business associates, for instance.

Chat #1: Nat and Omar ordered their bodyguards to holster their guns. Then the two men sat and sipped tequila while they discussed their differences.

Tension adds intrigue and substance. Rather than guzzle tequila, Nat and Omar sip. This shows a level of distrust. Neither man wants his senses dulled by too much liquor.

Chat #2: Nat and Omar haggled over the price of the Elvis album, neither willing to budge, but smiling as they bartered.

Here we see two people engaged in good-natured negotiations.

Instant Alternatives for Nice

For those occasions when you require direct replacements, evaluate these adjectives. Many will serve as seeds, sending your imagination in new directions.

A and B
accessible, admirable, affable, agreeable, amenable, amiable, amusing, appealing, approachable, attractive, becoming, befitting, benevolent

C
caring, charismatic, charming, cheerful, commendable, compassionate, congenial, considerate, convivial, copacetic, cordial, courteous, cultured, cute

D and E
dandy, delicate, delightful, disarming, discerning, distinguished, divine, ducky, easygoing, enchanting, engaging, enjoyable, entertaining, entrancing, exact

F and G
fair, fantastic, fascinating, fastidious, favorable, fine, fine and dandy, friendly, fussy, genial, genteel, gentle, gentlemanly, good-humored, good-natured, gracious, gratifying, great, gregarious

H to M
heartwarming, helpful, honest, honorable, humble, ideal, interesting, jovial, kind, kindly, ladylike, likable, lovely, mannerly, marvelous, methodical, meticulous, minute

O and P
obliging, open-hearted, open-minded, painstaking, peaceful, peachy, personable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, polished, polite, precise, prepossessing, proper, punctilious

R to T
refined, rigorous, satisfying, seemly, simpatico, sociable, solicitous, sophisticated, subtle, swell, sympathetic, tender, thoughtful, tidy, trim

U to W
unassuming, unpresumptuous, unpretentious, unselfish, upright, virtuous, warmhearted, welcoming, well-bred, well-mannered, winning, winsome, wonderful

Exercises and Story Prompts

Eliminate all or most instances of nice in the following.

Exercise 1

After tossing his gun into a garbage bin, Koby took a nice stroll around the block. Shoulders hunched, he entered a nice little bistro on Market Street and sat with his back to the wall at a nice table in the corner farthest from the street.

He ordered a nice lunch, his gaze never straying from the door.

[Would a description or brand name for the gun make the situation more realistic? If this turns into science fiction, the gun could be a blaster or a laser pistol. An inventive name for the street and bistro could add humor or intrigue.]

Exercise 2

“Nice to meet you,” Uber-General Kenald mumbled as he extended one of his twelve tentacles toward Donric.

Donric gaped at Kenald’s mottled green skin, and his gaze slowly took in the immensity of the Bathiriian representative. Nice? Humph. I’ll show him nice. He inclined his upper body in a nice bow, well-rehearsed and exactly as he had been taught by his Bathiriian diplomacy tutor. “My pleasure, Uber-General.”

Kenald’s upper scent glands hissed a huge puff of foul fumes. “How dare you insult me in such insolent fashion.” A tentacle darted from a warty orifice and whipped across Donric’s face.

[Donric obviously has a pre-conceived hate toward the Uber-General. Why? And how did he insult the Bathiriian? Can you turn this into humor?]

Exercise 3

Witch Saradon was nice to her three young visitors. She served them nice servings of apple pie topped with dollops of whipped cream. The desserts were followed by nice heaps of jellybeans and chocolates. When the children were ready for a nice snooze, the old witch showed them to a bedroom with nice pillows and toys.

The children woke with nice headaches, in a windowless cell. The only exit? A door constructed of cold metal bars at least one inch thick.

[This could be the setup for a fairy tale or perhaps a nightmare. Even for a fairy tale, though, the language comes across as excessively childish.]

Exercise 4

Knut paced around the massive oak coffee table in the living room. It would be so nice to have at least one day without a call from my mother-in-law, and — Damn! He snatched the phone from his pocket, scowled at the caller ID, and answered in his nicest voice. “Hello, Knut speaking.”

“I know who it is, you good-for-nothing Swede. Who else would pick up your phone? Santa Claus?”

The cords in Knut’s neck hardened. “Ho, ho, ho,” he replied with his nicest Santa impersonation. “You haven’t been nice, and you’re not getting any gifts this Christmas.”

“Well, I never!”

“Yes, you did. At least once. My wife is living proof.”

A strangled choke was the only reply. The choke turned into a cough.

And then silence.

“Mrs. Matheson?” Knut stopped mid-stride. “Mother?” He stared at his phone to ensure they were still connected. “Mom?”

[Does Knut’s mother-in-law reply? Has she had a heart attack? Or is she stringing him along on a guilt trip? Can you add an unexpected twist?]