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
Long Way Down
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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
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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:
It happened in 2001 to the telecom-equipment companies, which ended up writing off billions of dollars in vendor financing when flaky dot-com customers failed to pay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
These simple, vegetarian, gluten-free treats are best served with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of flaky salt and a glass of mineral-driven white wine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Your sister-in-law may just be a bit flaky.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
“I think it means they’ve got flaky skin,” said Aru.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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
Traditional English scones are lighter and flakier than their American counterparts.
From New York Times ● May 5, 2023
Scones spread less, pie crust is flakier and cookies are better in countless ways.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
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
Another method is adopted for pastries that are intended to be somewhat flakier and of a little better quality than plain pastry.
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
A dainty, fastidious man is Lord Otter Who can live just as well on land as in water, He'll eat but the flakiest part of a fish, And this he considers his favorite dish.
From Animal Children The Friends of the Forest and the Plain by Edith Brown Kirkwood
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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.
