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

Examples of flaky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Jonathan’s friends would come over after school, expecting Machi’s flaky empanadas or fragrant stewed chicken. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Yeast can also build up on the scalp and cause infections; Malassezia yeast on the scalp can cause seborrheic dermatitis—an itchy, flaky rash—while Candida yeast can lead to symptoms such as scalp itchiness or blisters.1 Sleeping on wet hair can also make existing dandruff worse, Zeichner added. Korin Miller, Health, 7 Mar. 2024 Some employees have to carry hard drives to other buildings; flaky internet won’t allow for the sending of large files. Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The rhubarb is an exquisite blend of sweet and tart cradled by a thin, light and flaky crust. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Feb. 2024 Sprinkle flaky salt evenly over brownies, and rotate the pan. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Using the wrong products for your hair type can lead to oily roots, flaky skin and lackluster strands. Caitie Kelly, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2024 Here’s some essential reading: 5 tips for cooking juicy pork chops quickly 6 tips for browning food to get more flavor 7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time Baking spices add complexity to savory dishes. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 The pastry shop, which opened in 2002 by husband-and-wife team Cheryl and Griffin Day, drew lines down the block for its golden biscuits, cookies pooled with chocolate and dusted with flaky salt, and cinnamon buns slathered with icing. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2024

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flaky was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near flaky

Cite this Entry

“Flaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaky. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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
flakily
-kə-lē
adverb
flakiness
-kē-nəs
noun
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