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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in puritanism
a tendency to care a great deal about seemly behavior and morals especially in sexual matters
a misguided nice-nellyism prompted the city-owned art museum to cancel its scheduled exhibit on the nude in photography
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nice-nelly
Adjective
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Lucy Delius is creating a fun spin on Victorian jewelry.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
13 June 2025 -
Guests may sample two teas as hostesses dressed in Victorian clothing describe the history of tea and offer instruction on tea etiquette.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Wisconsinites are also distinguished by their puritanical work ethic.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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First, the movement of women telling their stories of victimization online was dismissed by many as a toxic importation of puritanical American mores that were unnecessary in a culture of seduction and harmony between the sexes.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Nice-nelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nice-nelly. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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