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
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
Some nifty drives from Hill has helped keep the Aggies' offense churning despite a poor shooting afternoon so far.
—American Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
The first one was a bank shot from a tight angle; the second was a beauty slam dunk off a couple nifty plays by Curl-Salemme and Grace Zumwinkle.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
As Hughes surveyed the ice, Nelson didn’t waste any time with the one-time shot from a nifty pass that found the back of the net for his second goal of the period.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nifty
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Adjective
Amazon is packed with nifty gadgets under $10 to help solve problems around your home and kitchen.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
Some nifty drives from Hill has helped keep the Aggies' offense churning despite a poor shooting afternoon so far.
—American Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
The first one was a bank shot from a tight angle; the second was a beauty slam dunk off a couple nifty plays by Curl-Salemme and Grace Zumwinkle.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
As Hughes surveyed the ice, Nelson didn’t waste any time with the one-time shot from a nifty pass that found the back of the net for his second goal of the period.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 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 22 Feb. 2026.
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