flake
B2Informal for the 'unreliable person' meaning; neutral for other meanings.
Definition
Meaning
A small, thin, often flat piece of a substance, typically one that has broken off or peeled away from a larger mass.
1. An unreliable, eccentric, or odd person. 2. (Verb) To break or come away in small thin pieces. 3. (Verb, informal) To forget or fail to attend an appointment; to be unreliable.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The negative connotation ('unreliable person') is primarily North American and colloquial. The verb 'to flake (out)' can also mean to fall asleep or collapse from exhaustion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The slang noun 'flake' (unreliable person) and verb 'to flake (on someone)' are more common and established in AmE. In BrE, these uses are understood but less frequent; 'flakey/flaky' as an adjective for unreliability is more common.
Connotations
In both, a 'flake' of snow is positive/neutral. 'Flaky' pastries are positive. A 'flake' as a person is negative in AmE.
Frequency
The noun referring to a small piece is equally frequent. The 'unreliable person' sense is high-frequency in AmE informal speech, medium-low in BrE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
flake + off/away (from N)flake + on + person/event (AmE informal)N + flake + offVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “flake out (fall asleep/exhausted)”
- “as flaky as a snowstorm (AmE, informal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except informally ('don't be a flake on the meeting').
Academic
In geology/material science: 'mica flakes', 'flake morphology'.
Everyday
Weather (snow), food (cereals), describing peeling paint or unreliable people.
Technical
Metallurgy ('flake graphite'), computing ('flake8' linter).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The old paint is starting to flake off the window frame.
- He promised to help but he's flaked on us again.
American English
- The plaster flaked away from the ceiling.
- She flaked on our dinner plans at the last minute.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- He's a bit flaky when it comes to remembering birthdays.
- We need a flaky pastry for this pie.
American English
- Don't hire him, he's totally flaky.
- The biscuits were perfectly flaky and buttery.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at the snowflake on my glove.
- I eat cornflakes for breakfast.
- The green paint is flaking off the old bench.
- Add some chocolate flakes to the ice cream.
- He's such a flake; he never turns up when he says he will.
- The rock contained shiny mineral flakes.
- The agreement began to flake apart under the pressure of geopolitical tensions.
- Her flakiness, while charming at first, became a serious professional liability.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A flake of snow is LAKE-shaped but fragile and breaks (F) easily.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNRELIABILITY IS FRAGMENTATION (a flaky person 'falls apart' on commitments).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'блин' (pancake).
- The person meaning is not 'сумасшедший' but 'ненадёжный'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'flake' for a large piece (use 'slab').
- Using 'I flaked the appointment' instead of 'I flaked ON the appointment' (AmE).
Practice
Quiz
In American informal English, what does it mean if someone 'flakes on you'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Calling someone a 'flake' is mildly insulting, implying they are unreliable or eccentric. It's informal, not highly offensive.
A chip is usually thicker, smaller, and results from breaking (a chip of wood). A flake is thinner, often layered, and results from peeling or splitting (a flake of paint, snow).
Yes. It means 1) to come off in thin pieces ('paint flakes'), or 2) (informal, AmE) to fail to keep an appointment ('he flaked on us').
In surfing slang, a 'flake' is an unreliable surfer who often doesn't show up for planned surf sessions.