nice-nelly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnīs-ˈne-lē How to pronounce nice-nelly (audio)
Definition of nice-nellynext
as in Victorian
given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals the novel's wildly off base portrayal of 18th-century aristocrats as nice-nelly exemplars of decorum

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nice nelly

2 of 2

noun

as in puritan
a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters some nice nelly bowdlerized this collection of wartime ditties that were lustily sung by the men around the campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nice-nelly
  1. Victorian
  2. puritan
  3. puritanical
Adjective
  • But the Victorian farmstead is not just a capsule suspended in time.
    Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
  • Tour signature Old Louisville mansions and townhomes, and learn about the diverse history of Old Louisville, which is home to the largest contiguous collection of Victorian mansions in the United States.
    Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 25 Nov. 2024
Definition of Victorian
Noun
  • Centuries after being burned at the stake, a witch named Jennifer (Veronica Lake) magically reappears and tries to torment the descendant of the puritan who led the charge against her — only to fall in love with him.
    Clark Collis, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
  • Naysayers and scene puritans are too late to tear down Turnstile; the Baltimore band heard it all before its third album even dropped anyway.
    Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of puritan
Adjective
  • If, instead, the election is close, existing trends will likely bring out the worst in America—our puritanical righteousness and tribalism.
    Chris Jackson, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
  • In voiceover, Ai fondly recalls her own uncles and aunts sneaking out to clubs at night, partying all weekend, clashing with their elders and the more puritanical past generations stunned by the appropriation of sexier dress, style, and musical verve.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
Definition of puritanical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near nice-nelly

nice nelly

nice-nelly

nice-nellyism

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Cite this Entry

“Nice-nelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nice-nelly. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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