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

Deficiencies in omega-3s can contribute to rough and scaly skin. —Tamar Kane, Ms, Rd, Verywell Health, 9 Oct. 2024

Inspired by those scaly vertebrates, Chan used an array of precious stones — tourmaline, yellow diamond, garnets — to create a magical multicolored figurine. —Violet Goldstone, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024

But as our Zodiac boat slowly approached a mud bank in Western Australia's Kimberley region, a thick, scaly tail and a mouth that appeared to be curled in a jagged smirk came into view. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease that causes scaly rashes. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 26 Sep. 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