leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

leakier; leakiest

: permitting fluid to leak in or out

leakily

ˈlē-kə-lē 

adverb

leakiness

ˈlē-kē-nəs 

noun

Examples of leaky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This includes repairing leaky roofs, providing clean drinking water and improving security infrastructure at each of its campuses. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

Maintenance workers might turn off a leaky pipef but not replace it. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 9 July 2026

The leaky defense allowed Timothy Castagne to charge into the 18-yard box, settle the ball and curl a pass across to Charles De Ketelaere, who made an easy finish to give Belgium a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. — Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

The American defense has been leaky and suspect for months, a fact conveniently forgotten as the USA attack flowed freely early in the tournament. — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

leak entry 1 or leak entry 2 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leaky

• cheeky
• creaky
• freaky
• kiki
• sneaky
• squeaky
• streaky

Kids Definition

leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

leakier; leakiest

: permitting fluid to leak in or out

a leaky boat

leakiness noun

Medical Definition

leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

: relating to or being a mutant gene that changes the structure of the protein and especially an enzyme that it determines so that some but not all of its biological activity is lost

also : being such a protein with subnormal activity