scalier; scaliest
2
: of or relating to scaly animals
3
: despicable, poor
a regular scaly old shop—
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens4
: infested with scale insects
scaly fruit
scaliness
noun
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
The scaly behemoths are responsible for quite a few of the best moments in House of the Dragon Season 2.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, psoriasis can often look like patches on your skin or scaly brown or gray spots on melanated skin.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 20 Dec. 2024
Other traditional uses focus on conditions that affect the skin, including lupus (chronic autoimmune disease), eczema (chronic skin condition causing inflammation), psoriasis (autoimmune disease causing raised, scaly skin patches), and leprosy (chronic bacterial infection).
—Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 19 Dec. 2024
Hot temps can also aggravate other skin conditions, like eczema (another fun one for me!), which causes patches of cracked, scaly skin, leading to uncomfortable, incessant itchiness.
—Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scaly 
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David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, psoriasis can often look like patches on your skin or scaly brown or gray spots on melanated skin.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 20 Dec. 2024
Other traditional uses focus on conditions that affect the skin, including lupus (chronic autoimmune disease), eczema (chronic skin condition causing inflammation), psoriasis (autoimmune disease causing raised, scaly skin patches), and leprosy (chronic bacterial infection).
—Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 19 Dec. 2024
Hot temps can also aggravate other skin conditions, like eczema (another fun one for me!), which causes patches of cracked, scaly skin, leading to uncomfortable, incessant itchiness.
—Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scaly
Dictionary Entries Near scaly
Cite this Entry
“Scaly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scaly. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scaly
adjective
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
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