nicely

nicely — adjective

1. in a state of good physical health; feeling well — used only after linking verbs

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

in a state of good physical health; feeling well — used only after linking verbs such as feel, look, or do.

Example

After a week of bed rest, Grandfather said he was feeling quite nicely.

predicative after feel / look / do

Don't worry about me — I'm doing nicely, thank you.

Common collocations
  • feeling nicely
  • doing nicely
  • looking nicely
Synonyms
  • well

    standard and neutral; works in all registers

  • fine

    equally informal but more common in American English

  • good

    colloquial, very common in spoken English ('I feel good')

Antonyms
  • ill

    formal and less common in everyday speech

  • unwell

    more polite and slightly formal

Grammar Patterns

feel nicely

do nicely

look nicely

Usage Note

This predicative adjective use is informal and common in British English, especially in response to 'How are you?'. It always appears after linking verbs — it is not used attributively (e.g. 'a nicely person').

Common Mistakes

I am nicely, thank you.
I am doing nicely, thank you.
The adjective sense requires a linking verb like feel, look, or do; it cannot stand alone after 'am'.

nicely — adverb

Word family

  • nice
    adjectiveA1
  • niceness
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

All four words describe considerate behaviour, but they differ in focus. Nicely is the most general and informal — it covers both tone and intention ('She asked nicely'). Kindly adds warmth and personal care, suggesting genuine concern rather than mere politeness ('He kindly offered to drive us home'). Politely focuses on following social rules — using 'please', not interrupting, good manners ('They listened politely to the speech'). Courteously is more formal and implies deliberate, respectful treatment, often in professional settings ('The staff courteously addressed every concern'). Graciously emphasises generosity and poise, especially when someone is in a position of power ('The host graciously accepted the compliment'). In everyday conversation, nicely and politely are most common; courteously and graciously belong to written or formal speech. For example: a child asks nicely for a toy; a guest thanks politely for dinner; a manager responds courteously to a complaint.

nicely ↗kindly ↗politely ↗courteouslygraciously

Common collocations

Phrases

  • come along nicely
  • fit nicely
  • doing nicely
  • nicely done
  • going nicely with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in late Middle English from the adjective 'nice' plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. The word 'nice' itself underwent a remarkable shift over centuries: it came into Middle English from Old French 'nice' (meaning 'foolish, simple'), which in turn came from Latin 'nescius' ('ignorant', from 'ne-'+'scire' 'to know'). By the 16th century 'nice' had moved from 'foolish' to 'precise, requiring careful attention' — which is the source of the modern adverb sense 3 meaning 'precisely'. From 'precise' it broadened to 'pleasant, agreeable' in the 18th century, and the adverb 'nicely' followed the same path, acquiring its modern meanings of 'satisfactorily', 'kindly', and 'in good health'.