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
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Noun
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 WebPCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
On several occasions, the crunchy critters link up to form a rolling wheel — a nifty but none-too-effective trick.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
This version comes with the Fully Assembled Knob, which adds a nifty volume knob to the top right corner of the assembly.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024
If spring cleaning is on the brain, check out the discount on this nifty steam mop that not only cleans floors, but can also be used on upholstery, glass, bathtubs, and more.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
The bags also come with nifty features, such as USB-C charging ports and cooler pockets.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2024
Swatting George’s first-quarter jumper and throwing down a nifty fast-break alley-oop from Tre Mann over him certainly proved that.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
The great thing about working on Life Kit is that the editors and producers get to pick up all sorts of nifty life hacks that improve our daily lives, save money and enhance our relationships.
—Life Kit, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024
Learn more › Keep your eyes on the road and enhance your driving experience with this nifty gadget.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024
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
Adjective
Meanwhile, enthusiasts with larger cameras (and budgets) should step up to the full-size Godox V1, which offers a TTL mode, a nifty magnetic light modifier system, and a removable, rechargeable battery.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
On several occasions, the crunchy critters link up to form a rolling wheel — a nifty but none-too-effective trick.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
This version comes with the Fully Assembled Knob, which adds a nifty volume knob to the top right corner of the assembly.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024
If spring cleaning is on the brain, check out the discount on this nifty steam mop that not only cleans floors, but can also be used on upholstery, glass, bathtubs, and more.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
The bags also come with nifty features, such as USB-C charging ports and cooler pockets.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2024
Swatting George’s first-quarter jumper and throwing down a nifty fast-break alley-oop from Tre Mann over him certainly proved that.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
The great thing about working on Life Kit is that the editors and producers get to pick up all sorts of nifty life hacks that improve our daily lives, save money and enhance our relationships.
—Life Kit, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024
Learn more › Keep your eyes on the road and enhance your driving experience with this nifty gadget.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 14 Mar. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Nifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
nifty
adjective
nif·ty
ˈnif-tē
niftier; niftiest
: very good : very attractive
nifty
noun
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