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

Adjective (1)

• crisp
• brittle
• crisped

Examples of flaky in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

a tender but flaky crust on the pastry

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Likewise, Reuben’s increasing respect for Xavier, who turns out to have more going for him than his flaky slacker demeanor might indicate. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025

That way the butter melts in the oven, creating those coveted light, flaky layers. —Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025

Finish the cookies with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 June 2025

These flaky hand pies stuffed with sweet-tart cherries are the perfect two-bite desserts for topping off a full Fourth of July spread. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

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