leaky
Americanadjective
-
leakier,
comparative
-
leakiest
superlative
-
allowing liquid, gas, etc., to enter or escape.
a leaky boat; a leaky container.
-
Informal. unreliable.
a leaky memory; a leaky tongue.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of leaky
Explanation
Leaky things accidentally allow water (or gas) to pass through them. A leaky bucket is a bad thing, and a leaky diaper is even worse. A leaky hose lets water squirt out at different points, and a leaky helium balloon plummets to the ground, deflating as it falls. You can also talk about a leaky government, or a leaky newsroom — in other words, a group or a person guilty of exposing information that's meant to be kept secret or confidential. This kind of leak is a "deliberate disclosure of information," and it dates from the 1950s.
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:
And DWP is well below the national average in leaky pipes, he said, thanks to sophisticated monitoring and management techniques.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"Promptly fixing a mitral valve that is very leaky would protect the heart and could prevent congestive heart failure."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Well don't worry, I've got you covered… forget solving England's leaky defence, this is the tactical plan you need for the football.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
This frees Lodge Quai from having to fix a leaky factory roof in, say, Düsseldorf, and it allows the local company not only to optimize its expenses, but more importantly redeploy its locked-up capital.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Think of it as a leaky aqueduct leading to a water wheel.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Hydrogen is leakier and more flammable, and it burns hotter and faster than gas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
A defense that seemed so strong in defeating Georgia Tech looked leakier against Furman.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2022
Nine goals in 18 league games is an incredibly worrying statistic for Davidson, especially when coupled with leakier defensive displays.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2021
All reptiles lose water through their skin, and it turns out that Gila monsters have skin that is leakier than most desert reptiles.
From National Geographic ● Jul. 22, 2016
It is leakier than any other case, and intrinsically, I think, no stronger than many of her other good cases, certainly weaker than the G. P. case.
From The Letters of William James, Vol. II by William James
Despite losing 9-2 to Bayern Munich in their opening match, Dinamo Zagreb managed to avoid having the league phase's leakiest defence, and even kept clean sheets against Red Bull Salzburg and Celtic.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
Nelson’s presence immediately solidified an offensive line that had been among the leakiest in the NFL before his arrival.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2022
Now add in the fact that their offensive line was the leakiest in the NFL during the season, surrendering a league-high 51 sacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2022
Bridgewater returned after halftime and the Broncos closed out the win by running the ball behind a makeshift line, finishing with 147 yards rushing against the league's leakiest run defense.
From Fox News ● Nov. 28, 2021
My goodness me, Lu!" yawned Heavy, who was awakened, too, "you are just the leakiest person that I ever saw!
From Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp Or, Lost in the Backwoods by Alice B. Emerson
Definitions 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.
