Delicious vs. Nice — What's the Difference?

Highly pleasing to the senses, especially taste.

Pleasant or agreeable in nature.

Indicative of great pleasure, particularly in flavor.

Used to express mild approval.

Applies mainly to food and beverages.

Suitable or appropriate.

Often used to describe exquisite tastes.

Of good quality but not necessarily outstanding.

Associated with culinary delight.

Can denote kindness or thoughtfulness.

Either of two varieties of apple, the Golden Delicious or the Red Delicious.

Nice ( NEESS, French: [nis]; Nissard Occitan: Niça, classical norm, or Nissa, nonstandard, pronounced [ˈnisa]; Italian: Nizza [ˈnittsa]; Ancient Greek: Νίκαια; Latin: Nicaea) is the seventh most populous urban area in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department. The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly 1 million on an area of 744 km2 (287 sq mi).

Highly pleasing or agreeable to the senses, especially of taste or smell.

Giving pleasure or satisfaction; pleasant or attractive

Very pleasant; delightful

(especially of a difference) slight or subtle

Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.

Fastidious; scrupulous.

Pleasing to a person's taste; pleasing to the eyes or mind.

A resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy; population 348,721 (2007).

Affording exquisite pleasure; delightful; most sweet or grateful to the senses, especially to the taste; charming.

Pleasing and agreeable in nature

Addicted to pleasure; seeking enjoyment; luxurious; effeminate.

Having a pleasant or attractive appearance

Variety of sweet eating apples

Exhibiting courtesy and politeness

Greatly pleasing or entertaining;

Of good character and reputation; respectable.

Extremely pleasing to the sense of taste

Overdelicate or fastidious; fussy.

Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle

Done with delicacy and skill

Used as an intensive with and

Wanton; profligate

Affectedly modest; coy

Pleasant, satisfactory.

Of a person: friendly, attractive.

Respectable; virtuous.

Shows that the given adjective is desirable, or acts as a mild intensifier; pleasantly, quite.

Showing refinement or delicacy, proper, seemly

(obsolete) Silly, ignorant; foolish.

Particular in one's conduct; scrupulous, painstaking; choosy.

(dated) Having particular tastes; fussy, fastidious.

(obsolete) Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict.

Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle.

(obsolete) Easily injured; delicate; dainty.

(obsolete) Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.

(colloquial) Nicely.

Used to signify a job well done.

Used to signify approval.

Niceness.

To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.

Foolish; silly; simple; ignorant; also, weak; effeminate.

Of trifling moment; unimportant; trivial.

Overscrupulous or exacting; hard to please or satisfy; fastidious in small matters.

Delicate; refined; dainty; pure.

Apprehending slight differences or delicate distinctions; distinguishing accurately or minutely; carefully discriminating; as, a nice taste or judgment.

Done or made with careful labor; suited to excite admiration on account of exactness; evidencing great skill; exact; fine; finished; as, nice proportions, nice workmanship, a nice application; exactly or fastidiously discriminated; requiring close discrimination; as, a nice point of law, a nice distinction in philosophy.

Pleasing; agreeable; gratifying; delightful; good; as, a nice party; a nice excursion; a nice day; a nice sauce, etc.

Pleasant; kind; as, a nice person.

Well-mannered; well-behaved; as, nice children.

A city in southeastern France on the Mediterranean; the leading resort on the French Riviera

Pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance;

Socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous;

Done with delicacy and skill;

Excessively fastidious and easily disgusted;

Noting distinctions with nicety;

Exhibiting courtesy and politeness;

A "delicious" meal offers a particularly satisfying taste experience, often memorable, compared to the adequacy implied by "nice".

"Nice" is versatile and non-offensive, making it a safe choice for general approval.

Not necessarily, but it may not convey as strong an appreciation as "delicious" would.

It's typically reserved for food and drinks, emphasizing taste.

Mostly, though it can sometimes be seen as lacking depth or used when a more neutral term is needed.

It emphasizes exceptional taste qualities and can influence appetite and cravings.

Yes, "delicious" is usually more emotive and enthusiastic, while "nice" is milder and more restrained.

Both are subjective but "delicious" tends to be used with more consensus about the high quality of taste.

Yes, but it's often better to use more specific descriptors in formal contexts to avoid vagueness.

Words like "pleasant", "enjoyable", or "lovely" can provide more specificity or intensity.