leaky

adjective

ˈlē-kē How to pronounce leaky (audio)
leakier; leakiest
Synonyms of leakynext
: permitting fluid to leak in or out
leakily
ˈlē-kə-lē How to pronounce leaky (audio)
adverb
leakiness
ˈlē-kē-nəs How to pronounce leaky (audio)
noun

Examples of leaky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The perfect cover is the leaky ceiling in Melinda and Flora’s house, which needs to get fixed. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 Green Bay signed guards Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton and Kevin Zeitler this week, bringing in more than a thousand pounds of veteran help to help shore up a leaky unit. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 But recent events have shown that much-vaunted security umbrella to be a leaky one. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 This launch was delayed several weeks to fix a leaky valve on Dragon’s propulsion system, work that involved cutting out the suspect valve and welding in a new one, an unusual but apparently successful repair method. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leaky

Word History

Etymology

leak entry 1 or leak entry 2 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leaky was in the 15th century

Rhymes for leaky

See All Rhymes for leaky

Browse Nearby Words

leakproof
leaky
leal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaky. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

leaky

adjective
ˈlē-kē How to pronounce leaky (audio)
leakier; leakiest
: permitting fluid to leak in or out
a leaky boat
leakiness noun

Medical Definition

leaky

adjective
ˈlē-kē How to pronounce leaky (audio)
: relating to or being a mutant gene that changes the structure of the protein and especially an enzyme that it determines so that some but not all of its biological activity is lost
also : being such a protein with subnormal activity

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