flaky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈflā-kē 

variants or less commonly flakey

flakier; flakiest

1

: consisting of flakes

flaky snow

2

: tending to flake

a flaky crust

flaky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

flakier; flakiest

1

: markedly odd or unconventional : offbeat, wacky

has some flaky ideas

He's nice, but a bit flaky.

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

… digital crutches trump face-to-face talking (even phone calls), encouraging people to be flaky and evasive …

—Charlotte Liberman

Synonyms of flaky

Adjective (1)

• brittle
• crisp
• crisped

Examples of flaky in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

a tender but flaky crust on the pastry

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The viral dessert, which uses minimal ingredients, is typically made with fresh Medjool dates filled with natural nut butter, then covered in dark chocolate and topped with flaky salt. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026

The bread alone–flaky fougasse, perfuming the table with a luscious buttery scent—is worth the admission price. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026

Branzino is the Italian term for European seabass, a delicate, flaky white fish found throughout the Mediterranean and parts of the northeastern Atlantic. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026

For the unfamiliar, branzino is the Italian name for European seabass — a mild, flaky white fish popular in Mediterranean cuisine. —Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

see flake entry 1

Adjective (2)

flake entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

circa 1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for flaky

• reiki
• shaky
• snaky

Kids Definition

flaky

adjective

ˈflā-kē

flakier; flakiest

1

: consisting of flakes

2

: tending to flake

pie with a crisp flaky crust

3

: odd or strange in behavior

4

informal : not reliable : undependable

flakily

-kə-lē

adverb

flakiness

-kē-nəs

noun