Standard Lemma guide

leaky

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈliːki/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːki
  • homophone: leeky
  • CMU ARPABET: L IY1 K IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having leaks; not fully sealed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The leaky bucket dripped only one drop at a time, but by the time I got back to the house it was half empty.
  • The ceiling was so leaky that someone had to fix it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Tending to leak secrets or information.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

permitting the unwanted passage of fluids or gases

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a leaky roof
  • a leaky defense system

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: tight

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

prone to communicate confidential information

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blabbermouthed, talebearing(a), tattling(a)

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

used informally; unable to retain urine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

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”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Amharic: የሚያፈስ (yämiyafäs) — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Finnish: vuotava — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • French: percé — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • German: undicht — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Hungarian: folyó — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Hungarian: lyukas — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Latin: fūtilis — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Māori: turuturu — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Māori: wairere — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Old English: hlec — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Plautdietsch: lakjsch — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Polish: nieszczelny — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Russian: протека́ющий (protekájuščij) — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Russian: дыря́вый (dyrjávyj) — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Scottish Gaelic: aoidionach — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Spanish: permeable — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Spanish: llovedizo — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Vietnamese: rò rỉ — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Vietnamese: rò — having leaks; allows contents to escape
  • Vietnamese: rỉ — having leaks; allows contents to escape