niftier; niftiest
informal
: very good: such as
a
: very attractive or appealing
nifty clothes
Jon Gnagy was an artist—you could tell this by the nifty goatee he wore …—
Andy Meisler
Andy Meisler
b
: very pleasant or enjoyable
a nifty performance
… this barrier isle off North Carolina's southernmost coast still provides a nifty getaway.—Spike Gillespie
Spike GillespieThe Smithereens consistently present nifty, driving songs, quite involved by pop standards.—David Hiltbrand
David Hiltbrand
c
: very interesting or clever : ingenious
a nifty device
The museum's gift shop is well-stocked, complete with a nifty machine that, for $1, will crush a fresh penny into a copper medal bearing the likeness of T. Rex.—Carl Wayne Arrington
Carl Wayne ArringtonSome investors are catching on to a nifty tax-saving trick allowable by Roth IRA rules.—Karen Hube
Karen Hube
d
: well-executed
A fan leaned out of the stands and made a nifty grab of the ricochet, and received a nice round of applause.—George Vecsay
George Vecsay
niftily
adverb
Harrison is an upwardly mobile … young man with a wife, son and a niftily restored house in San Francisco.
—John J. O'Connor
John J. O'Connor
plural nifties
: something that is nifty
especially
: a clever or neatly turned phrase or joke
Synonyms of nifty
Examples of nifty in a Sentence
Adjective
a nifty pair of shoes
This nifty little machine can do just about anything.
Noun
though ostensibly a drama, the play is filled with zingy little nifties that lighten the mood
that joke was a nifty
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
At one end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest player to have 13 assists in a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only two of 10 shots inside, so much nifty passing, so many open looks.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
This nifty little Anker portable power bank can juice up small devices (think AirPods, iPads, and phones) in a pinch.
—Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
Just 16 seconds earlier, Booker had penetrated and hit teammate Jordan Goodwin with a nifty pass.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nifty
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Adjective
Sorting through separates is a thing of the past with this nifty dual-sided hamper from Joseph Joseph.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
At one end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest player to have 13 assists in a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only two of 10 shots inside, so much nifty passing, so many open looks.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
This nifty little Anker portable power bank can juice up small devices (think AirPods, iPads, and phones) in a pinch.
—Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
Just 16 seconds earlier, Booker had penetrated and hit teammate Jordan Goodwin with a nifty pass.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nifty
Cite this Entry
“Nifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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