scalier; scaliest
1
a
: covered with, composed of, or rich in scale or scales
b
: flaky
2
: of or relating to scaly animals
3
: despicable, poor
a regular scaly old shopCharles Dickens
4
: infested with scale insects
scaly fruit
scaliness noun

Examples of scaly in a Sentence

His skin was dry and scaly. the snake's scaly skin was dry to the touch
Recent Examples on the Web Psoriasis is a chronic and incurable skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly and sometimes painful patches, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Furry, scaly and winged friends at the Sacramento Zoo are welcoming a new neighbor this week. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 8 Feb. 2024 With Gerard Butler as his father (and clan chief) and America Ferrera as Astrid, his competitive and fierce love interest, the roster is strong — and the dragon in question (Toothless) is as cute as a scaly button. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2023 For the premiere, Brown turned to Nicolas Ghesquière to outfit her in a custom Louis Vuitton dress, beaded to look like the scaly beast. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 The continuous cycle of itching and scratching can lead to skin thickening, hyperpigmentation, and the development of scaly patches. Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024 As the sun comes up, green heads can often be seen bobbing in the inlet, followed by long, scaly bodies: iguanas clambering up the small wooden jetty to warm themselves. Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 But understanding the evolution of these scaly vertebrates depends on what paleontologists unearth in the fossil record, and the diversity of the earliest reptilian animals is still a knowledge gap researchers are trying to fill. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 Hook’s crocodile nemesis, which has swallowed a clock, seems a scaly symbol of time. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scaly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of scaly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scaly

Cite this Entry

“Scaly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scaly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scaly

adjective
scalier; scaliest
1
a
: covered with, composed of, or resembling scale or scales
b
: flaky sense 2
scaly skin
2
: infested with scale insects
scaly fruit

Medical Definition

scaly

adjective
scalier; scaliest
: covered with or composed of scale or scales
dry scaly skin
scaliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scaly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!