🦄 Eccentric or odd 🥐 Breaking into pieces

flakey

3 8.1

Unusual in a way that people notice

adjective
/ˈfleɪki/

: excéntrico

His flakey ideas often leave his friends confused about what he really wants.

Examples

She tends to have a flakey approach to work, showing up at odd hours and missing deadlines.
Flakey, self-absorbed, neurotic actress type or gun-toting, badass FBI agent with years of pent-up sexual frustration?

Drive Me Crazy (1999)
Real flakey

Arachnophobia (1990)
I send out a biweekly email newsletter with subjects such as How to Handle Flakey Girls, 7 Tips for Incredible First Dates, How to Pick Up Girls in Coffee Shops, The Reason Why She Isn't Calling You Back, and much more.

Blog text (9)
His flakey personality makes it hard for people to take him seriously.

Synonyms

odd

vsflakey

878 1.0

Different from what is normal or expected

is similar but places more emphasis on being noticeably unusual

bizarre

vsflakey

389 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is similar but can be less extreme and more odd than shocking

freaky

vsflakey

Informal

158 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

is similar but generally suggests a more harmless, quirky oddness

eccentric

vsflakey

91 7.2

Different from normal in a way people notice

is similar but often feels more quirky or unreliable rather than formal

outlandish

vsflakey

32 7.4

Strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is similar but focuses more on odd behaviour than shocking looks

freakish

vsflakey

22 6.8

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is like that but often implies a lighter, quirky oddness

screwy

vsflakey

Informal

16 8.0

Strange or not working in the usual way

is similar but often implies gentler or more noticeable eccentricity

gonzo

vsflakey

Informal

15 9.7

Very strange and wild in style or behavior

shares unconventionality but is often milder and more commonplace

off-the-wall

vsflakey

Informal

14 8.0

Strange and often funny in a surprising way

is similar but leans more toward eccentric or odd rather than playful

wiggy

vsflakey

Slang

5 9.3

Strange and amusing in how a person or thing looks and acts

is like that but highlights being noticeably unconventional or strange

wingy

vsflakey

1 8.8

Having wings or looking like wings, often in an odd and showy way

is like that but focuses more on noticeable unconventional behaviour

outré

vsflakey

Literature

1 9.9

Very unusual and sometimes strange in a way that attracts attention

is like that but usually more casual and less refined

oddish

vsflakey

1 7.9

Slightly strange in a small, gentle way

is more strongly odd or eccentric and more noticeably unconventional

ostrobogulous

vsflakey

NSFW

9.9

Strange and sometimes a little shocking

is similar but usually less extreme and more casually odd

Antonyms

normal

∞ 1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

conventional

287 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

How Eccentric

bizarre

389 5.9

eccentric

10 7.0

flakey

3 8.1

odd

878 1.0

quirky

68 4.4

Surface Forms

flakey positive

flakier comparative

flakiest superlative

Morphology

flakey = flake (semi-transparent) = flake + y

Derived via figurative extension from 'flake' (a person who 'flakes' or is insubstantial), so form is regular but the meaning is slangy/figurative and not directly inferable from the literal noun for all learners.

Etymology

Flakey is also used for a person who is odd or unreliable, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a flake as a small, loose piece that can fall away. That's why a 'flakey' person is someone who may fall away from plans or act unpredictably.