different between fickle vs flaky

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?k.?l/
• Rhymes: -?k?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike +? -le. More at fike.

Adjective

fickle (comparative fickler or more fickle, superlative ficklest or most fickle)

1. Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
2. (figuratively) Changeable.
   • 2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)[1]

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English fikelen, from fikel (“fickle”); see above. Cognate with Low German fikkelen (“to deceive, flatter”), German ficklen, ficheln (“to deceive, flatter”).

Verb

fickle (third-person singular simple present fickles, present participle fickling, simple past and past participle fickled)

1. (transitive) To deceive, flatter.
2. (transitive, Britain dialectal) To puzzle, perplex, nonplus.

Anagrams

• Fickel

English

Alternative forms

• flakey

Etymology

flake +? -y (“having the quality of”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fle?ki?/
• Rhymes: -e?ki

Adjective

flaky (comparative flakier, superlative flakiest)

1. Consisting of flakes or of small, loose masses; lying, or cleaving off, in flakes or layers; flakelike.
2. (informal, of a person) Unreliable; likely to make plans with others but then abandon those plans.
   • 2014, Joseph Itiel, A Consumer's Guide to Male Hustlers

     I have noticed that when hustlers upgrade themselves to models (as distinguished from models who have never hustled) they tend to continue being flaky about appointments. On my last trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I was stood up twice.

3. (informal, of a thing) Unreliable; working only on an intermittent basis; likely to malfunction.

   I cannot enjoy the online game because of my flaky Internet connection.

Derived terms

• flakily

Translations