flaky
Americanadjective
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flakier,
comparative
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flakiest
superlative
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of or like flakes.
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lying or cleaving off in flakes or layers.
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Slang. eccentric; wacky; dizzy.
a flaky math professor.
adjective
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like or made of flakes
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tending to peel off or break easily into flakes
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Also: flakey. slang eccentric; crazy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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flakinessnoun
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nonflakilynessnoun
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nonflakyadjective
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unflakyadjective
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flakilyadverb
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nonflakilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of flaky
First recorded in 1570–80; 1965–70 flaky for def. 3; flake 1 + -y 1; sense of flaky def. 3 probably flake 4 + -y 1, though influenced by flake 1
Explanation
If you are flaky, you are off-beat and you probably don’t function in society quite like everyone else. If you say you’ll come to a party and then forget to show up, you are flaky. People are flaky (also spelled flakey) if they are wacky and unconventional, but to say someone is flaky is not really a compliment. If you want to buffer the blow of calling your friend an odd-ball, don’t say she’s flaky — say she’s eccentric. Pie crusts, snow, certain rocks, and dandruff can also be flaky, which means that they come apart in layered bits. Flakiness is a good thing for pie crusts, but not for your scalp.
Vocabulary lists containing flaky
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Everything tells me that Carrick's side should probably take the three points because Tottenham are so flaky at the moment, but I am just not sure about United either.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Your sister-in-law may just be a bit flaky.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The results are flaky rows of delicate porcelain that resemble oversize scales or ruffling coral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Let cool on the baking sheet, then finish with a little flaky salt if desired.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
“I don’t want to be onstage at Carnegie Hall looking like a total idiot because we didn’t rehearse enough—all because Mrs. Atanabi was too flaky to show up on time.”
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Professionals and discerning home chefs know these attributes help create flakier pastries, tender cakes and consistent rise in baked goods.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2024
Jade: Like Jackie, I thought the top crust of this pie was one of the flakier, more buttery choices out of the roundup.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2021
Salmon, which is flakier, is also a good starter fish, because thicker fillets are common and it is oilier, meaning it brings its own “nonstickability,” Zuccarello said.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 17, 2021
Not only is it far less faff to make, but it proves crisper and flakier than ordinary shortcrust, and a pleasant contrast with the rich filling.
From The Guardian ● May 15, 2019
The less liquid used to accomplish this condition, the flakier will be the crust when it is baked.
From Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume 4: Salads and Sandwiches; Cold and Frozen Desserts; Cakes, Cookies and Puddings; Pastries and Pies by Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Another of the castle's secrets shared exclusively with Salon by Thorington was the secret to the flakiest pastry crust ever, which became the most-read story published by Salon Food this year.
From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2019
We think it produces the best-tasting, lightest, flakiest crust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2018
But it will take hard work to revive breakfast’s flakiest business.
From Economist ● Feb. 18, 2016
In doing so, each challenged the flakiest fans to commit to the creators' muses despite the angularities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2015
Miss Joliffe scanned the picture with an eye which was trained to detect the very flakiest chip on a saucer, the very faintest scratch upon a teapot.
From The Nebuly Coat by John Meade Falkner
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
