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
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
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The tying touchdown comes on a Kotelnicki special, a shovel pass with some nifty misdirection.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines had 12 carries for 69 yards to lead the way, and sixth-year player Malik Sherrod had 49 yards on just nine carries, showcasing some nifty, shifty moves between the tackles on a couple of runs.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
The Indians were unfazed, however, answering on their next drive with a nifty pitch and catch from Burkett to Bodie Davis for a 28-yard TD.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nifty
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Adjective
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa turned heads with a nifty flip to wide receiver Malik Washington during a touchdown drive against the New York Jets on Monday night.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The tying touchdown comes on a Kotelnicki special, a shovel pass with some nifty misdirection.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines had 12 carries for 69 yards to lead the way, and sixth-year player Malik Sherrod had 49 yards on just nine carries, showcasing some nifty, shifty moves between the tackles on a couple of runs.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
The Indians were unfazed, however, answering on their next drive with a nifty pitch and catch from Burkett to Bodie Davis for a 28-yard TD.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nifty
Cite this Entry
“Nifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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