nifty

1 of 2

adjective

nif·​ty ˈnif-tē 

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

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

nifty

2 of 2

noun

plural nifties

: something that is nifty

especially : a clever or neatly turned phrase or joke

Synonyms

Adjective

• excellent
• wonderful
• awesome
• terrific
• great
• lovely
• fantastic
• fabulous
• superb
• beautiful
• marvelous
• marvellous
• stellar
• neat
• fine
• hot
• cool [slang]
• prime

Noun

• joke
• laugh
• boffo
• funny
• gag
• joking

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

After a couple of nifty runs and throws, Sanders found Davis again over the middle for a 12-yard score to give Cleveland the lead with 1:04 left in the first half. —Steve Reed, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2025

Jaheim Bell caught one touchdown on a nifty sidearm throw from Dobbs and undrafted rookie Gee Scott secured one of two targets. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Aug. 2025

View gallery - 5 images Honda’s e-clutch tech is a nifty piece of tech that was first introduced in 2023. —New Atlas, 8 July 2025

The Swiss watchmaker released a new Fifty Fathoms Tech (ref. 5029) this month, with a nifty interchangeable strap system. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1865, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nifty

• fifty
• shifty
• thrifty
• unthrifty

Kids Definition

nifty

adjective

nif·​ty

ˈnif-tē

niftier; niftiest

informal

: very good : very attractive

nifty noun