nicer

Nicer is the comparative form of the adjective nice. It is used to compare two or more things that are pleasant, kind, or agreeable, signaling a higher degree of niceness. For example, “The weather today is nicer than yesterday” or “She gave me a nicer gift than last year.” Nicer can describe people, places, things, or situations when the speaker wants to express that one is more pleasant or agreeable than another.

Etymology and sense history: The modern sense of nice developed gradually from earlier meanings such as foolish or ignorant to mean pleasant, agreeable, or kind, with the shift largely completing by the 18th century. The comparative form nicer followed standard English spelling and grammar rules for forming comparatives of one-syllable adjectives.

Usage notes: Nicer is common in everyday speech and writing, especially in informal contexts. In more formal writing, speakers might opt for synonyms such as “more pleasant,” “more agreeable,” or “more kind” depending on the nuance. Nicer can be used attributively (“a nicer day”) or predicatively (“Today is nicer than yesterday”). The comparative adverb form is typically expressed with “more nicely” rather than a direct “nicier” form in formal contexts.

Related forms: nicest (superlative), nice (base form), niceness (the quality of being nice), nicely (adverbial form).

Overall, nicer remains a widely used, informal-to-neutral way to express that one item is more pleasant or agreeable than another, reflecting the common progression of nice from its older senses to its current positive usage.