nice-guy
UK[ˈnaɪs ɡaɪ]US[ˈnaɪs ɡaɪ]
n
A man who is pleasant, agreeable, and inoffensive in his behavior, often to the point of being perceived as lacking assertiveness or strength of character.
Morpheme Breakdown
nice
guy
nice
pleasant
guy
man
Etymology
The compound "nice guy" is a relatively modern formation, emerging in the 20th century. Its logic is transparent, directly combining the adjective "nice," which evolved from a Latin term for "ignorant" through a semantic journey to mean "precise" and then "agreeable," with the noun "guy," a slang term for a man derived from the historical figure Guy Fawkes. The term's modern, often ironically tinged meaning—a man whose pleasantness is seen as a passive or unassertive trait—developed through cultural usage, particularly in discussions of dating and interpersonal dynamics. It represents a case where a literal descriptive phrase acquires a specific, nuanced connotation within a social context.
Analysis
Structure: nice (pleasant) + guy (man)
- nice: From Old French 'nice' meaning "foolish, simple," from Latin 'nescius' meaning "ignorant." In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning "pleasant, agreeable."
- guy: From the name 'Guy Fawkes,' later generalized to mean "man, fellow." In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning "man."
Examples
He's a genuine nice-guy who always puts others first.
She complained that he was just another passive nice-guy.
The nice-guy image sometimes works against him in negotiations.