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
Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
The new Blue Bell flavor has a rich brown sugar ice cream with roasted pecans and pieces of flaky pie crust mixed with a pecan pie filling.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition, removing gel manicures can involved regular exposure to chemicals that leave nails flaky and dry, or even permanently discolored, researchers at Harvard University found.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The patch wasn't itchy, flaky, dry or in an area where Meitinger gets flare-ups.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaky
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Adjective
This should still be a tender, light, flaky crust.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
The new Blue Bell flavor has a rich brown sugar ice cream with roasted pecans and pieces of flaky pie crust mixed with a pecan pie filling.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition, removing gel manicures can involved regular exposure to chemicals that leave nails flaky and dry, or even permanently discolored, researchers at Harvard University found.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The patch wasn't itchy, flaky, dry or in an area where Meitinger gets flare-ups.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaky
Cite this Entry
“Flaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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