Well done

[0253] Nice work

🎲 Way to go
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A common expression of praise, similar to Good job and Well done, indicating approval of someone's effort or the result of their task.

Origin

  • Simple combination: Nice (meaning good, pleasant, or satisfactory) and Work (effort or the result of effort).

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Good job.
  • Well done.
  • Great work. / Great job.
  • Good stuff. (Informal)
  • Looks good. (Focuses on appearance or result)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Good stuff
  • Sweet (General approval, can apply to work)
  • Dope (Slang for excellent/cool) That design is dope.
  • Sick (Slang, paradoxically means excellent/amazing) Sick guitar solo, nice work!
  • Looks sharp (Complimenting appearance/quality)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Fucking nice work!
  • That's some good shit. (Vulgar, high praise)
  • Badass work.

More Formal / Emphatic Praise:

  • Excellent craftsmanship.
  • Impressive work.
  • High-quality results.
  • Well executed.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Very common in informal and semi-formal settings, especially workplaces and schools.
  • Sounds natural and friendly. Less formal than Well done perhaps, but more specific than just Good.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Straightforward and unlikely to be misunderstood.

Examples

  • I saw the report you submitted. Nice work!
  • You fixed the leaky faucet? Nice work!
  • (Looking at a drawing) Wow, nice work!

Dialogue

Colleague A: Hey, I finished designing the webpage mock-up. Take a look.

Colleague B: (Looking at it) Oh, this looks great! Clean layout, easy to navigate. Nice work!

Colleague A: Thanks! I tried to incorporate the feedback from the last meeting.

Social Media Examples

  • Comment on DIY project photos: That looks fantastic! Nice work! ✨
  • Reply in a group chat after someone shares a completed task: Nice work, Alex!
  • Feedback on a shared document: Edits look good. Nice work incorporating the suggestions.

Response Patterns

  • Thanks! / Thank you.
  • Glad you think so.
  • Appreciate it.
  • Cheers. (UK/Aus)

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Similar to Good job and Well done.
  • Receiver typically says thank you.
  • Speaker might add more detail or move on.

Conversation Starter

  • No. It's a reaction to seeing or learning about completed work or effort.

Intonation

  • Positive and appreciative tone. Emphasis often on Nice. NICE work.
  • Generally sounds friendly and encouraging.

Generation Differences

  • Used widely across all generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
Well done
🎲 Way to go