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
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Below all of the handy garden gadgets, nifty new plant varieties, and tried-and-true care techniques lies, of course, the soil.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Catcher Jesus Rodriguez played second base for a second consecutive day and made a nifty sliding play in shallow right field.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Slovenian star scored eight in the first quarter, when the Lakers held pat with the Celtics and knotted the score at 28-all after Reaves produced a nifty shot fake to get Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez in the air.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nifty
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Adjective
Some nifty teamwork also failed to materialize just after halftime when Teagan Jahns directed a pass toward Ava McKay who kicked it over to Rowen.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Below all of the handy garden gadgets, nifty new plant varieties, and tried-and-true care techniques lies, of course, the soil.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Catcher Jesus Rodriguez played second base for a second consecutive day and made a nifty sliding play in shallow right field.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Slovenian star scored eight in the first quarter, when the Lakers held pat with the Celtics and knotted the score at 28-all after Reaves produced a nifty shot fake to get Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez in the air.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 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 28 Feb. 2026.
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