decent and nice share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. decent means “socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous”. nice means “pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance”. nice is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdisənt/
1.adj.socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
“from a decent family”
2.adj.in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
“a decent burial”
3.adj.conforming to conventions of sexual behavior
“speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd”
/ˈnaɪs/
1.adj.pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
“what a nice fellow you are and we all thought you so nasty”
2.adj.socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
“from a decent family”
3.adj.done with delicacy and skill
“a nice bit of craft”
| decent | nice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdisənt/ | /ˈnaɪs/ |
| Said | DEE-suhnt | nahys |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adjective, noun |
| Senses | 7 | 6 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | nice | none recorded |
Full entry for decent · Full entry for nice · More comparisons