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
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
At the same time, Stella also got bullied for her seborrheic dermatitis, a different inflammatory skin condition that cropped up on her scalp and created visible patches of flaky skin.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 2025
However, the flaky, buttery croissants — traditional, chocolate, almond and ham-and-cheese — are the bestsellers that receive raves every morning.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Make room on the table for pear pie, which has a buttery and flaky homemade crust and a brown sugar crumble that's to-die-for delicious.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaky
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Adjective
Maia’s flaky friends Alani (True Whitaker) and Charlie (Jordan Firstman) are, respectively, a nepo baby with a titular vice presidency at her famous father’s production company and a mouthy stylist genuflecting at the feet of small-time pop singers.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
At the same time, Stella also got bullied for her seborrheic dermatitis, a different inflammatory skin condition that cropped up on her scalp and created visible patches of flaky skin.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 2025
However, the flaky, buttery croissants — traditional, chocolate, almond and ham-and-cheese — are the bestsellers that receive raves every morning.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Make room on the table for pear pie, which has a buttery and flaky homemade crust and a brown sugar crumble that's to-die-for delicious.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2025.
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