peaky
peaky Lexical Profile
peaky Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
British Pale, drawn, and appearing slightly unwell, fatigued, or sickly.
"She was looking a bit peaky after working three consecutive night shifts at the hospital."
Having many sharp points, summits, or prominent peaks; rising to a sharp point.
"The horizon was dominated by a peaky mountain range that caught the last light of dusk."
Characterized by sharp fluctuations, sudden spikes, or pronounced highs and lows (of a graph, signal, or demand curve).
"Solar and wind power generation can be quite peaky, requiring reliable battery storage to balance the grid."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of looking pale and unwell, 'peaky' is predominantly used in British English, whereas American English speakers more commonly use 'peaked' (pronounced as two syllables: pee-kid).
• Rhymes for peaky
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 18th century, derived from the earlier verb 'peak' (meaning to waste away or look sickly, of uncertain origin) combined with the adjectival suffix '-y'; the literal sense relating to pointed peaks arose independently from the noun 'peak'.