flaky

or flak·ey

[fley-kee]

See more synonyms for flaky on Thesaurus.com

adjective, flak·i·er, flak·i·est.

of or like flakes.
lying or cleaving off in flakes or layers.
Slang. eccentric; wacky; dizzy: a flaky math professor.

Origin of flaky

1570–80; 1965–70 for def 3; flake¹ + -y¹; sense of def. 3 probably flake⁴ + -y¹, though influenced by flake¹

Related formsflak·i·ly, adverbflak·i·ness, nounnon·flak·i·ly, adverbnon·flak·i·ly·ness, nounnon·flak·y, adjectiveun·flak·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for flakiness

madness, silliness, absurdity, nonsense, insanity, idiocy, lunacy, nuttiness, senselessness, imbecility, tomfoolery, foolery, flakiness, wackiness, zaniness

Examples from the Web for flakiness

Historical Examples of flakiness

The flakiness of pastry depends upon the kind and amount of shortening used.
The Story of Crisco
Marion Harris Neil

British Dictionary definitions for flakiness

flaky

adjective flakier or flakiest

like or made of flakes
tending to peel off or break easily into flakes
Also: flakey US slang eccentric; crazy

Derived Formsflakily, adverbflakiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for flakiness

flaky

adj.

1570s, from flake + -y (2). Meaning "eccentric, crazy" first recorded 1959, said to be American English baseball slang, but probably from earlier druggie slang flake "cocaine" (1920s). Flake "eccentric person" is a 1968 back-formation from it.

The term 'flake' needs explanation. It's an insider's word, used throughout baseball, usually as an adjective; someone is considered 'flaky.' It does not mean anything so crude as 'crazy,' but it's well beyond 'screwball' and far off to the side of 'eccentric.' ["New York Times," April 26, 1964]