We are always chasing “nice-to-have” things, but we might not always know the right words to use to describe them. This article will help you understand some of the best ways to say something is “nice-to-have” and some of the best formal alternatives to it.
The preferred words are “luxury,” “bonus,” and “desirable.” These words all work very well (both in formal and informal contexts). You can use them to show that something is “nice-to-have,” and it usually comes with a lot of benefits related to how good it is.
Luxury
“Luxury” is the best choice for both formal and informal situations. Formally, you will use “luxury” when you want to refer to things that help to operate life within a workplace.
A “luxury” is anything that might be nice to have because it helps you to get on top of your work. It might also paint you in a more positive light in front of your boss.
The definition of “luxury,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “great comfort, especially as provided by expensive and beautiful things.”
- I always chase after the luxuries in life. I like to keep things close to me that I know will give me the best quality I can get.
- What you’re asking for is quite a luxury. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get that sorted out for you in time, but I’ll do my best.
- Having luxury options like this is what makes this company worth fighting for. We should always be looking at ways to better ourselves.
Bonus
“Bonus” is one of the most common formal words used to refer to “nice-to-have” things. It refers to anything that is added on top of whatever you’re already used to. It is always a pleasant addition, and many people will do whatever they can to chase bonuses.
The definition of “bonus,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a pleasant extra thing.”
- It’s an added bonus that we’re going to get a lot out of this. I think you’ll really find it useful to the cause if you give it some time.
- Many of these items are bonuses that we got from working really hard over the last quarter. That’s just one of the perks from here.
- You’ll find that these bonuses will make your lives much easier. Just wait and see what you can get out of them before knocking them!
Desirable
“Desirable” is a good choice that relates to multiple options. You will often sway toward the most “desirable” choice from a list because it’s the one that’s going to be the most rewarding for you (thus making it the “nicest to have”).
The definition of “desirable,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “worth having and wanted by most people.”
- We’ve come up with some of the best and most desirable options to make sure that everyone invests in us. What do you think?
- These are very desirable, and I’m sure we’ll be able to convince a lot of people to jump in on the ground floor with them.
- I think you’ll need to make them slightly more desirable. It’s only a matter of time before they hit the market, and we must be ready.
Preferable
“Preferable” is a good choice when you prefer one thing over another. Usually, the thing that you prefer is the “nice-to-have” option, while the thing that you avoided is typically not as good.
A preferable option could be the best of two good choices, a good choice over a bad choice, or the least bad choice if you’re given two bad ones. It is very versatile in its meaning because of this.
The definition of “preferable,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “better or more suitable.”
- Which of these two would you consider to be the preferable option? We want to get the most out of this, but we’re not sure how.
- I want it to be preferable so that nobody needs to worry about it going forward. What do you think we can do to make that happen?
- Can we please discuss our preferable outcomes? We need to work out which one of these scenarios we want to focus on.
Nicety
“Nicety” refers to small things that are often created to make life easier for people. You’ll usually forget to look into niceties, and some people don’t notice them at all without further investigation or careful thought.
They’re always there, and they are always “nice-to-have,” but we might not appreciate them.
The definition of “nicety,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a detail or small difference that is only obvious after careful thought.”
- This is quite the nicety. I guess I hadn’t realized before, but there’s a lot to be said for how rewarding this can all be.
- I like the niceties that I get out of my role here. It’s definitely worth sticking in my position because I always find new benefits.
- These niceties are often overlooked. Make sure you focus on them and show other people what they’re missing if they don’t.
Extra
An “extra” is a good way of showing that something new has been added to what you might already be used to. In a formal sense, it can work when you have been given extra responsibilities or are talking about things that are worth looking into to help with your workload.
The definition of “extra,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “added to what is normal.”
- All of these come as extras. We won’t charge you anything more because we know how awesome some of these things are.
- These are extras, but you’ll find that they’re going to make your life a lot easier. Trust us when we say that.
- We wanted a few extras here. Is there anything you might be able to offer us that might make this work better?
Priority
“Priority” is an interesting choice because it relates to the importance of something. Most of the words on this list relate to how “nice” certain things are, but “priority” allows us to bring it back to what is most important (and what we need the most).
It’s possible to rank things in terms of “high priority” and “low priority” as well. This gives you a better selection formally when you’re trying to decide whether things are nice to have or not.
The definition of “priority,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things.”
- I’m going to make this one high priority so that everyone gets a chance to experience it.
- Do you have any high-priority items that might be good for us here? I’m trying to come up with something.
- You’ll have to make sure this is a priority. We can’t afford to leave it unchecked going forward.
Needs
“Needs” relates to the things that people need in order to live a happy or satisfying life. Often, people will have different needs based on how they live, where they work, and what they do in their free time.
The definition of “needs,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “the things you must have for a satisfactory life.”
- I have a lot of needs that I feel get overlooked while working here. Maybe it’s time for me to look elsewhere.
- My needs are always met at the office. I know my boss well, and she always finds a way to accommodate me.
- I think you’ll have to look at the needs of the common worker to understand what you need to deliver here.
Option
“Option” works well, but it can be both positive and negative, depending on the context. A good option is something that is “nice-to-have.” People will often seek these options to make their life easier. Bad options are less desirable, and people will do what they can to avoid them.
The definition of “option,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “one thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities, or the freedom to make a choice.”
- I’m going to have to decide between these options, but I really don’t know the best way to go about doing that.
- What options do we have here? We have got to make sure we’re all on the same page before we take this further.
- Let’s talk about the good options first. It’s best to share these with the board of directors before moving to the bad stuff!
Possibility
“Possibility” is a good choice when you want to show that something might be “nice-to-have.” We don’t use it as often in this context as some of the other choices, but it can still demonstrate that something is an option or possibility to make your life easier.
The definition of “possibility,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “something that you can choose to do in a particular situation.”
- It’s always a possibility, and I think it’s worth you looking into this! I think you’ll find it very lucrative.
- I think it’s a good possibility, and it’s definitely going to result in some good success for you.
- I’m not sure if this possibility is worth the outcome. Maybe we should come back to it at another time.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
