scaly

adjective

ˈskā-lē 

scalier; scaliest

1

a

: covered with, composed of, or rich in scale or scales

b

: flaky

2

: of or relating to scaly animals

3

: despicable, poor

a regular scaly old shop

—Charles Dickens

4

: infested with scale insects

scaly fruit

scaliness noun

Synonyms

• scaled
• squamous

Examples of scaly in a Sentence

His skin was dry and scaly.

the snake's scaly skin was dry to the touch

Recent Examples on the Web

Soft tissues preserve a fossil plesiosaur’s smooth and scaly skin. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2025

Hives cause bumps or welts on the skin, while eczema leads to rashes and dry and scaly skin. —Mark Gurarie, Health, 6 Feb. 2025

Dry skin: This is skin that looks and feels flaky, scaly, and dry. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 22 Jan. 2025

My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing scaly

• scaly anteater

Kids Definition

scaly

adjective

ˈskā-lē 

scalier; scaliest

1

a

: covered with, composed of, or resembling scale or scales

b

: flaky sense 2

scaly skin

2

: infested with scale insects

scaly fruit

Medical Definition

scaly

adjective

ˈskā-lē 

scalier; scaliest

: covered with or composed of scale or scales

dry scaly skin

scaliness noun