flaky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈflā-kē 

variants or less commonly flakey

flakier; flakiest

1

: consisting of flakes

flaky snow

2

: tending to flake

a flaky crust

flaky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

flakier; flakiest

1

: markedly odd or unconventional : offbeat, wacky

has some flaky ideas

He's nice, but a bit flaky.

2

informal : not reliable in performance or behavior : undependable

a flaky mechanism

You'll want to make sure that all the technology tools you need to effectively and efficiently serve clients are in full working order and that you won't need to worry about wasting time and money fixing broken hardware or flaky software.

—Henry B. Chace

… digital crutches trump face-to-face talking (even phone calls), encouraging people to be flaky and evasive …

—Charlotte Liberman

Synonyms of flaky

Adjective (1)

• brittle
• crisp
• crisped

Examples of flaky in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

a tender but flaky crust on the pastry

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Steak and kidney pie with a flaky crust that envelops chunks of steak and mineral-bright nuggets of liver in a deep brown gravy. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

Like shea butter, aloe has soothing properties that may help calm flaky, dry or irritated scalps. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

At Vato, in Park Slope—which, blessedly, opens at seven in the morning—the tortillas are thin and rich, with chewy interiors and a flaky, blistered outside from the heat of the flattop. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026

Everything is made fresh daily, from buttery scones and flaky galettes to nostalgic pop tarts and muffins. —Belinda Luksic, Southern Living, 2 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

see flake entry 1

Adjective (2)

flake entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

circa 1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for flaky

• reiki
• shaky
• snaky

Kids Definition

flaky

adjective

ˈflā-kē

flakier; flakiest

1

: consisting of flakes

2

: tending to flake

pie with a crisp flaky crust

3

: odd or strange in behavior

4

informal : not reliable : undependable

flakily

-kə-lē

adverb

flakiness

-kē-nəs

noun