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)

• brickle [dialect]
• brittle
• crisp
• crispy
• crumbly
• embrittled
• friable
• short

Examples of flaky in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

a tender but flaky crust on the pastry

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There's nothing fancy in this recipe, just plenty of pecans and a flaky homemade crust. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024

The dish consists of sauteed rice, caramelized onions, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric topped with white flaky fish. —Paul Feinstein, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024

His greatest feat may be the hot dog, a thick sausage wrapped in flaky croissant dough covered in everything bagel seasoning. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Lower temperature and more hat-wearing can lead to a flaky scalp, but these dandruff shampoos can help soothe your skin. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024

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

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