Antonyms for Nice: Opposite Words

Direct Opposites of Nice

mean

Intentionally unkind or malicious; He did not act mean when I asked for help.

rude

Showing a lack of courtesy or respect; It was rude of him to interrupt the speaker.

unkind

Lacking sympathy or compassion; Her response felt unkind during my hard time.

gruff

Harsh or surly in manner, often due to irritation; The gruff guard refused to smile at visitors.

stern

Serious and severe in demeanor; The teacher gave stern instructions to the class.

cranky

Bad-tempered and irritable; He seemed cranky all morning without a reason.

snarling

Showing anger or aggression with a harsh expression; The dog gave a snarling look at the stranger.

vile

Extremely unpleasant or morally bad; That was a vile comment to make about her.

cruel

Causing pain or suffering on purpose; It is cruel to tease a frightened animal.

wicked

Evil or mischievous in a harmful way; The wicked plan backfired on the group.

Milder Opposites of Nice

plain

Ordinary or lacking special qualities; The cake was plain but still tasty.

common

Frequently occurring or ordinary; Her reaction was common for that situation.

indifferent

Having no particular interest or concern; He seemed indifferent to my greeting.

neutral

Taking no side or showing no emotion; The judge remained neutral during the argument.

average

Typical or of standard quality; Her test score was just average.

blank

Empty of expression or feeling; She gave a blank stare at the camera.

dull

Lacking interest or excitement; The party was dull with no music.

mediocre

Of only moderate quality; His performance was mediocre compared to others.

Formal Antonyms for Nice

abominable

Extremely unpleasant or detestable; The abominable behavior shocked the crowd.

disagreeable

Unpleasant or hard to get along with; He was disagreeable during the meeting.

offensive

Causing anger or resentment; His joke was offensive to many people.

repellent

Causing a strong feeling of disgust; The smell was repellent to the guests.

unwelcome

Not desired or received with pleasure; The news was unwelcome to the family.

unsavory

Seemingly unpleasant or immoral; That story had an unsavory tone.

Best Opposite by Situation

in an essay

Use "harsh" to describe criticism; The harsh critique challenged the author.

talking about people

Use "rude" for social faux pas; She was rude to the waiter.

describing weather

Use "gloomy" for a sad day; The gloomy sky made everyone feel down.

in a business email

Use "impolite" to note errors; The impolite tone upset the client.

for a character

Use "villainous" to show evil; The villainous character plotted against heroes.

in a romantic story

Use "cold" to show distance; His cold response hurt her feelings.

Example Sentences With the Opposites

1. The rude comment made the crowd uncomfortable.Copy
2. She felt indifferent toward the strange request.Copy
3. It was mean to laugh at someone crying.Copy
4. He gave a gruff answer instead of a smile.Copy
5. The cruel action was never forgiven.Copy
6. Her plain dress did not stand out.Copy
7. The stern look warned everyone to be quiet.Copy
8. His indifferent attitude ruined the party.Copy

Frequently Asked Questions