nicely
nicely — adjective
1. in a state of good physical health; feeling well — used only after linking verbs
in a state of good physical health; feeling well — used only after linking verbs such as feel, look, or do.
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.
The doctor said Mrs. Chen is looking nicely after her treatment.
Grandma asked how I was feeling, and I told her I was nicely now.
文法句型
feel nicely
do nicely
look nicely
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
nicely — adverb
1. in a way that looks, fits, or functions in a pleasing or well-suited manner.
in a way that looks, fits, or functions in a pleasing or well-suited manner.
The wooden shelves fit very nicely into the alcove next to the kitchen window.
collocation: fit nicely into [space]
Those blue curtains fit nicely with the grey sofa in the living room.
collocation: fit nicely with [sth]
The lights along the garden path brighten the yard very nicely at night.
Lauren sang the folk song nicely at the school talent show.
Eshe frosted the birthday cake very nicely with pink buttercream roses.
- well
neutral and the most common alternative in most contexts
- satisfactorily
more formal; emphasises meeting a standard
- pleasantly
focuses on the enjoyable quality of the result
文法句型
go nicely with
fit nicely
2. with kindness, friendliness, or politeness toward other people.
with kindness, friendliness, or politeness toward other people.
Beatriz asked the librarian very nicely if she could borrow the book.
pattern: ask [sb] nicely + if-clause
Mom spoke to the nervous child nicely and calmed her down.
Sivan treated everyone at the table nicely, pouring tea for each person.
If you ask the tour guide nicely, she might show you the hidden courtyard.
- kindly
very similar, with a slightly warmer feeling
- politely
focuses on good manners rather than inner kindness
- courteously
more formal; suggests deliberate, respectful behaviour
文法句型
ask [sb] nicely
treat [sb] nicely
speak nicely to [sb]
常見錯誤
3. with careful attention to detail and accuracy.
with careful attention to detail and accuracy.
The artist painted the portrait's eyes very nicely with fine brushes.
used with verbs of precise action
Owen measured each board nicely before cutting it with the saw.
The watchmaker adjusted each tiny gear nicely so the clock kept perfect time.
Élise arranged the flowers very nicely in a tall ceramic vase.
- carelessly
opposite in level of attention
- roughly
opposite in precision and finish
文法句型
paint nicely
measure nicely
fit nicely
用法筆記
This sense is more formal than the others and typically appears in contexts involving craftsmanship, detailed work, or aesthetic precision. It is less common in everyday conversation.
4. in a way that shows continuing improvement, development, or recovery.
in a way that shows continuing improvement, development, or recovery.
Meera's English is coming along nicely since she joined the evening class.
collocation: coming along nicely (progress)
The local restaurant is doing nicely despite the cold winter months.
Nia is recovering nicely after her heart surgery last week.
Kian's new business is doing nicely and has already hired three staff.
文法句型
come along nicely
do nicely
recover nicely
用法筆記
Common with verbs of progress such as 'come along', 'do', and 'recover'. When used about a person's health ('recovering nicely'), it overlaps with the adjective sense but takes adverbial position after the verb.