flaky

or flak·ey

[ fley-kee ]

/ ˈfleɪ ki /

SEE 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.

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Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

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Origin of flaky

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

OTHER WORDS FROM flaky

flak·i·ly, adverbflak·i·ness, nounnon·flak·i·ly, adverbnon·flak·i·ly·ness, noun

non·flak·y, adjectiveun·flak·y, adjective

Words nearby flaky

flake out, flake tool, flake white, flakeboard, flakelet, flaky, flaky pastry, flam, flambeau, flamborough head, flamboyant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for flaky

It is the “glue that holds often flaky single malts together,” as Broom puts it.
Don't Be a Single-Malt Scotch Snob|Kayleigh Kulp|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Its flaky and slightly burned crust was reminiscent of crème brulee.
Portugal's Kings of Pastry|Molly Hannon|April 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The phyllo cooks until golden, crisp, and flaky, and the cheesy spinach filling is addictive, to say the least.
What to Eat: Light Greek Meal|Cookstr.com|June 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It was brown as to crust, and flaky and light as to interior.
In the Midst of Alarms|Robert Barr

These rays caught the flaky clouds above Samothrace, and just pencilled their outline with a tiny rim of gold and fire.
Tell England|Ernest Raymond
Our talk flagged and the fire grew gray in its flaky ashes before Fanny again appeared.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. XII. No. 30. September, 1873|Various
The fresh bread and good butter, and the flaky wedges of apple pie, each flanked by its pilot of cheese, were likewise enjoyed.
The Girls of Hillcrest Farm|Amy Bell Marlowe
With the tarpans of the northern Steppes it is thick, flaky, and frizzled.
The Desert World|Arthur Mangin

British Dictionary definitions for flaky

flaky

/ (ˈfleɪkɪ) /

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 forms of flaky

flakily, 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

flaky

or flak·ey

adjective, flak·i·er, flak·i·est.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Origin of flaky

OTHER WORDS FROM flaky

Words nearby flaky

Words related to flaky

Example sentences from the Web for flaky

British Dictionary definitions for flaky

adjective flakier or flakiest

Derived forms of flaky