Leaky describes something that has holes or cracks that let liquid or gas escape when it should stay contained. A leaky faucet drips water even when turned off. A leaky boat takes on water through gaps in its hull. A leaky tire slowly loses air pressure.

The word often signals a problem that needs fixing. When your water bottle is leaky, your backpack gets wet. When a roof is leaky, rain drips into the house during storms. Leaky things waste what they're supposed to hold: leaky pipes waste water, and leaky windows waste heat in winter.

Beyond physical objects, people use leaky metaphorically. A leaky organization can't keep secrets because information keeps slipping out to the public. Politicians worry about leaky staff members who share confidential information with reporters.

If you've ever watched water slowly seep through a crack, you understand why we say something leaks rather than pours or gushes. It's that steady, unwanted dripping or seeping that makes something leaky. A bucket with one small hole might work fine at first, but eventually that leaky bucket leaves you with nothing to carry.