adjective

flaky

FLAY-kee

Flaky (adjective) means Made up of thin, loose layers that easily break apart. Example: “The pastry had a wonderfully flaky crust.”

adjective

Made up of thin, loose layers that easily break apart.

"The pastry had a wonderfully flaky crust."

Unreliable, especially about keeping plans or commitments.

"He's a great cook but notoriously flaky about showing up on time."

Working only inconsistently, especially describing a device, connection, or system.

"The office Wi-Fi has been flaky all week."

How to use flaky

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither literally crumbly/layered, or (informally) unreliable — a person who cancels plans, or a system that misbehaves intermittently.

Common pairings

flaky pastry flaky connection a flaky friend

Word forms

flakier comparative, flakiest superlative

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The pastry had a wonderfully _____ crust.

Synonyms

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flakey

Rhymes for flaky

peaky shaky leaky freaky sneaky creaky squeaky

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Frequently asked questions

What does “flaky” mean?

The word “flaky” means made up of thin, loose layers that easily break apart. In plain terms, either literally crumbly/layered, or (informally) unreliable — a person who cancels plans, or a system that misbehaves intermittently.

How do you pronounce “flaky”?

“Flaky” is pronounced FLAY-kee (/ˈfleɪki/ in IPA).

How do you use “flaky” in a sentence?

Here is “flaky” used in a sentence: “The pastry had a wonderfully flaky crust.”

What part of speech is “flaky”?

“Flaky” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “flaky” have?

“Flaky” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: made up of thin, loose layers that easily break apart.