Leaky

//ˈliːki// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Having leaks; not fully sealed.

    "The leaky bucket dripped only one drop at a time, but by the time I got back to the house it was half empty."

  2. 2
    Tending to leak secrets or information.

    "The spooks' argument against this is that the secret service would become leaky and demoralised […]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    prone to communicate confidential information wordnet
  2. 2
    used informally; unable to retain urine wordnet
  3. 3
    permitting the unwanted passage of fluids or gases wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
blabbermouthedblabbermoutheddraughtydrippyexcretoryholey

Antonyms

All antonyms
tight

Example

More examples

"Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances."

Etymology

Likely a normalisation ( + -y) of earlier leak, leake, leke (“leaky”, adjective), from Middle English leke (“leaky”), from Old English hlec, *lec (“having cracks or rents; leaky”), from Proto-Germanic *lekaz (“leaking; leaky”). By surface analysis, leak + -y. Cognate with Scots lek, leck (“leaky”), Saterland Frisian läk (“leaky”), Dutch lek (“leaky”), German Low German leck (“leaky”), German leck (“leaky”), Swedish läck (“leaky”), Icelandic lekur (“leaky”).

Related phrases

leaky abstractionleaky brain syndromeleaky bucketleaky gut syndromeleaky weir

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.