flaky

IPA/ˈfleɪki/
KK[flˈeki]IPA/ˈfleɪki/

flaky — adjective

  • flakypositive
  • flakiercomparative
  • flakiestsuperlative

1. breaking or peeling away in thin little layers, so bits keep coming off the surf

1.形容詞B2
釋義

breaking or peeling away in thin little layers, so bits keep coming off the surface

例句

By spring, the old blue paint looked flaky around the kitchen window.

look flaky + surface

Camille's scalp became flaky and itchy after a week of dry weather.

flaky + body surface

同義詞
  • peeling

    close for paint or skin, but peeling stresses the outer layer lifting away

  • scaly

    mainly for skin, with a rougher medical feel than flaky

  • crumbly

    describes breaking into small pieces, not thin layers

反義詞
  • smooth

    without rough loose pieces on the surface

  • intact

    stresses that the surface remains whole and unbroken

文法句型

flaky paint

flaky skin

look flaky

become flaky

用法筆記

Often used for paint, skin, plaster, or other surfaces that split into thin layers. Common after look, feel, or become, and before nouns like paint, scalp, and lips.

常見錯誤

❌The bread is flake.
✅The bread is flaky.
💡Use flaky as the adjective; flake is usually a noun or verb.

2. likely to act strangely or let people down by forgetting plans or not doing what

2.形容詞C1
釋義

likely to act strangely or let people down by forgetting plans or not doing what was promised

例句

Bao sounded flaky again and never arrived for the group project meeting.

flaky = fails to show up

After three missed shifts, Karim's boss called him flaky and cut his hours.

call someone flaky after repeated failures

同義詞
  • unreliable

    broader and more neutral, without the informal oddness of flaky

  • forgetful

    narrower; focuses on memory rather than broken promises

  • eccentric

    focuses on unusual behaviour, not on failing to show up or follow through

反義詞
  • dependable

    someone people can trust to do what was promised

  • steady

    suggests predictable, consistent behaviour over time

文法句型

be flaky about plans

sound flaky

a flaky friend

a flaky excuse

用法筆記

Informal. Usually describes a person who often forgets plans, changes stories, or fails to do what was promised. In current learner use it is more natural for people and their behaviour than for machines or systems.

常見錯誤

❌My laptop is flaky today.
✅My laptop keeps crashing today.
💡In this entry, flaky describes a person's behaviour, not a machine that stops working.