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
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026
Snap up these nifty gadgets ahead of Mother’s Day or to treat your kitchen to a proper upgrade.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The Great Lakes boast some of America's niftiest beach areas—and yes, there are actually waves lapping the shore at this Midwest family vacation destination.
—Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Not the biggest position of need for the Chargers, who took him in the fourth round, but a nifty weapon for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who in the past has drawn up schemes for such scorchers as Jaylen Waddle, Travis Benjamin and Tyreek Hill.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nifty
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Adjective
Hail Cale finished with a nifty wrister that beat Anton Forsberg top shelf for a 2-0 lead that more or less clinched the Avs’ first Stanley Cup Playoff series sweep, and first opening-round series sweep, since 2022 — the last time Colorado won the Cup.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026
Snap up these nifty gadgets ahead of Mother’s Day or to treat your kitchen to a proper upgrade.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The Great Lakes boast some of America's niftiest beach areas—and yes, there are actually waves lapping the shore at this Midwest family vacation destination.
—Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Not the biggest position of need for the Chargers, who took him in the fourth round, but a nifty weapon for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who in the past has drawn up schemes for such scorchers as Jaylen Waddle, Travis Benjamin and Tyreek Hill.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.
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