leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

leakier; leakiest

: permitting fluid to leak in or out

leakily

ˈlē-kə-lē 

adverb

leakiness

ˈlē-kē-nəs 

noun

Examples of leaky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The decision comes on the heels of a trade deadline in which Pittsburgh, seeking to end a decade-long playoff drought, fortified its leaky bullpen with a series of moves, including acquiring prominent reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Some teachers recommend doing it weekly to catch missing work, spills from leaky water bottles and accumulating crumbs. — Cheyanne Mumphrey, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026

More pressing, the Tigers did not add help for their leaky bullpen. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The uneven overall performance can be traced back — first and foremost — to a leaky defense. — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

leak entry 1 or leak entry 2 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leaky

• cheeky
• creaky
• freaky
• kiki
• sneaky
• squeaky
• streaky

Kids Definition

leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

leakier; leakiest

: permitting fluid to leak in or out

a leaky boat

leakiness noun

Medical Definition

leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē 

: relating to or being a mutant gene that changes the structure of the protein and especially an enzyme that it determines so that some but not all of its biological activity is lost

also : being such a protein with subnormal activity