variants
or less commonly flakey
flakier; flakiest
flakier; flakiest
1
2
informal
: not reliable in performance or behavior : undependable
a flaky mechanism
You'll want to make sure that all the technology tools you need to effectively and efficiently serve clients are in full working order and that you won't need to worry about wasting time and money fixing broken hardware or flaky software.—
Henry B. Chace
Henry B. Chace… digital crutches trump face-to-face talking (even phone calls), encouraging people to be flaky and evasive …—Charlotte Liberman
Charlotte LibermanExamples of flaky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
a tender but flaky crust on the pastry
Recent Examples on the Web
Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Jan. 2026
Butter pecans are suspended throughout the flaky pastry and sprinkled over top for a sweet and salty breakfast or coffee break treat.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Dry, Itchy Scalp To address an itchy, flaky scalp, don’t scrub aggressively.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Jan. 2026
And their wedding party, school prom, Mary Tyler Moore chic was deemed too flaky to those my age, who used grittier rock artists as stencils for their simulated individuality.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaky
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Adjective
Divide among bowls and top with more red pepper flakes, some flaky salt, and more butter.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Jan. 2026
Butter pecans are suspended throughout the flaky pastry and sprinkled over top for a sweet and salty breakfast or coffee break treat.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Dry, Itchy Scalp To address an itchy, flaky scalp, don’t scrub aggressively.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Jan. 2026
And their wedding party, school prom, Mary Tyler Moore chic was deemed too flaky to those my age, who used grittier rock artists as stencils for their simulated individuality.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaky
Cite this Entry
“Flaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaky. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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