nifty

1 of 2

adjective

nif·​ty ˈnif-tē How to pronounce nifty (audio)
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
b
: very pleasant or enjoyable
a nifty performance
… this barrier isle off North Carolina's southernmost coast still provides a nifty getaway.Spike Gillespie
The Smithereens consistently present nifty, driving songs, quite involved by pop standards.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
Some investors are catching on to a nifty tax-saving trick allowable by Roth IRA rules.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
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

nifty

2 of 2

noun

plural nifties
: something that is nifty
especially : a clever or neatly turned phrase or joke

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
Adjective
The real reason the episode works, though, is its nifty, twisty structure, a series of stories conveyed to an absent Marshall via flashbacks and phone calls. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 Some Connections categories are nifty, and satisfying to identify. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 Small-space living has led me to a ton of nifty home hacks. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 His consortium of investors later sold the bank for a nifty profit of more than $1 billion. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 This nifty tool, however, makes adorable rice balls that can do all of the above. Hetal Vasavada, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2024 Setting Garvey up Rather than risk that, Schiff is executing a nifty political shuffle. Jim Newton, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024 Boldy set up the goal when took a pass from behind the net and skated along the red line before threading a nifty backhand pass to Eriksson Ek in front for a quick wrist shot. Jack Magruder, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 The Sockers took the early lead 1-0 in the first quarter, but Rian Marques pulled the Comets level with a nifty back-heel redirection with his back to goal in the second quarter. Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
The bleeding continued at 15:05 of the first when Kotkaniemi made it 2-0 with a nifty backhand tuck at the base of the left post. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Nov. 2022 His next points came via a nifty behind-the-back pass from Orlando Lovejoy on a fastbreak which led to an easy layup for Bates. Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 12 Nov. 2022 A few minutes after Madore hit the crossbar on a free kick, the Cardinals made it 2-0 with 17 minutes left in the first half when junior Ryan Belal scored from 14 yards out off a nifty through ball from Angelini. Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 23 Sep. 2022 Already leading from a nifty and shifty 19-yard touchdown run by Jermaine Brown Jr. on the opening drive game, the UAB special teams unit felt like getting in on the fun. Evan Dudley, al, 1 Sep. 2022 The first came on a nifty, 9-yard cutback run by tailback Rayshon Luke (who had gained 21 yards on a screen pass on the previous play). Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2022 This nifty trick is predicated on the idea that the Level 2 car has some form of sensor devices such as video cameras, radar, LIDAR, or the like that are used to detect vehicles that are ahead of the Level 2 car. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 May 2022 Murphy beds have surged in popularity in the last decade or so, and there are now plans available that include shelving units, desks and other nifty, stylish adaptations. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 26 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nifty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1865, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nifty was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near nifty

Cite this Entry

“Nifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nifty

adjective
nif·​ty
ˈnif-tē
niftier; niftiest
: very good : very attractive
nifty noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nifty

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