nifty

1 of 2

adjective

nif·​ty ˈnif-tē How to pronounce nifty (audio)
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 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Raw has nifty messaging features to keep conversations safe and cordial. PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025 Pritchard added a highlight-reel layup shortly thereafter — utilizing some nifty post moves to slither past Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony — and later hit back-to-back triples early in the fourth quarter to help Boston pull away in Game 1 of its first-round playoff series. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 21 Apr. 2025 The Twins’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline then stole second and eventually scored with a nifty slide on a sacrifice fly. Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 In particular, a double play that ended the fifth inning was a nifty piece of glove and footwork. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nifty

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1865, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nifty was in 1865

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

nifty

adjective
nif·​ty
ˈnif-tē
niftier; niftiest
informal
: very good : very attractive
nifty noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nifty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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