nifty
/ˈnɪfti/adjective, noun
nifty is spelled N-I-F-T-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, nifty means “Good, smart; useful or beneficial, often in an impressively clever way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in nifty?
| Letters | 5: N-I-F-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 23,253rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is nifty?
Nifty appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce nifty?
- /ˈnɪfti/
Nifty has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-nifty.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of nifty
- niftier comparative
- niftiest superlative
- nifties plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nifty mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
colloquialdatedGood, smart; useful or beneficial, often in an impressively clever way.
a nifty trick for reducing your household energy bill
- 2
colloquialdatedStylish.
nifty gear
noun
- 1
colloquialdatedA possibly risqué comic story or anecdote.
- 2
colloquialdatedA trick.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Nifty in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense good, useful:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | chouette |
| German | toll, flott, pfiffig, geschickt, ausgefeilt, schlau |
| Portuguese | bom |
| Spanish | chulo, chévere |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does nifty come from?
From *nift + -y. First element is of unknown origin. Possibly theatrical slang, as a shortened, altered form of Magnificat. Alternatively, perhaps a special use of US regional niffed (“put off, peeved”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).