nice-nelly

adjective

nice-nel·​ly ˈnīs-ˈne-lē How to pronounce nice-nelly (audio)
often capitalized second N
1
: marked by euphemism
2
nice nelly noun often capitalized second N
nice-nellyism noun often capitalized second N

Examples of nice-nelly in a Sentence

the novel's wildly off base portrayal of 18th-century aristocrats as nice-nelly exemplars of decorum

Word History

Etymology

from the name Nelly

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nice-nelly was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near nice-nelly

Cite this Entry

“Nice-nelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nice-nelly. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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