nifty

adjective

nif·ty | \ ˈnif-tē

niftier; niftiest

Definition of nifty

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

nifty

noun

plural nifties

Definition of nifty (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from nifty Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about nifty

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from nifty

Adjective

niftily \ ˈnif-tə-lē

\ adverb

Harrison is an upwardly mobile … young man with a wife, son and a niftily restored house in San Francisco. — John J. O'Connor

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 left-hander also initiated a nifty pickoff move, throwing to first baseman Albert Pujols, who then turned to throw out Mac Williamson trying to steal second base for the first out of the fifth inning. — Maria Torres, latimes.com, "Jose Suarez’s second start for Angels marred by inconsistent strike zone," 9 June 2019 The priciest cars may offer more nifty features and a smoother ride than a cheaper marque, but the vast difference in price is not primarily down to such advantages. — The Economist, "Advertising may make people miserable, but it still has its uses," 6 June 2019 While the 7400 lacked the nifty in-hinge pen of the Inspiron, both the Inspiron and Latitude were designed with thermal management n mind. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Dell Latitude refresh banks on connectivity, battery life," 1 May 2019 These nifty products probably don’t replace the need for regular sunscreen, Dr. Stevenson says. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "How to Pick the Best Sunscreen for Your Lovely Face," 10 May 2019 Truex won it and won it big, finishing a full 10 seconds — in NASCAR racing, a virtual calendar page — in front of Harvick after some nifty dance moves by his team on pit road. — Mike Hembree, USA TODAY, "Martin Truex Jr. surges into championship picture with deft pit-stop fake-out," 24 June 2018 This nifty little device is designed to keep your drink safe and sound, right on the arm of your couch or sofa. — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "This Genius Cup Holder Will Totally Transform Your Netflix Marathons," 21 Mar. 2019 The Wall Street Journal Cracking open a durian requires some nifty machete skills and, preferably, a thick pair of gloves. — James Hookway, WSJ, "The ‘King of Fruits’ Smells Like Gym Socks—and Fans Fear There Won’t Be Enough," 15 Aug. 2018 Sawicki concluded the scoring with a nifty deflection moving across the slot from right to left at 10:43 of the the third. — Matt Nevala, Anchorage Daily News, "South topples West to return to top of CIC hockey," 4 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The lone goal of the match was scored by Inda-Felix, who put the ball in the lower left corner of the net following a nifty through pass from Mike Robles. — Dave Mendonca, The Mercury News, "Willow Glen, Rose Garden: Lincoln boys open CCS soccer playoffs with back-to-back shutout wins," 2 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nifty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.