flak

or flack

[ flak ]

noun

1. antiaircraft fire, especially as experienced by the crews of combat airplanes at which the fire is directed.
2. criticism; hostile reaction; abuse:

   Such an unpopular decision is bound to draw a lot of flak from the press.

flak

/ flæk /

noun

1. anti-aircraft fire or artillery
2. informal.
   a great deal of adverse criticism

Word History and Origins

Origin of flak¹

1935–40; < German Fl ( ieger ) a ( bwehr ) k ( anone ) antiaircraft gun, equivalent to Flieger aircraft (literally, flyer) + Abwehr defense + Kanone gun, cannon

Word History and Origins

Origin of flak¹

C20: from German Fl ( ieger ) a ( bwehr ) k ( anone ), literally: aircraft defence gun

Example Sentences

It felt to me like a plane flying through the flak of an economy.

From The Daily Beast

You fired off a tweet about ISIS recently that got you some flak.

From The Daily Beast

They looked younger now than when weighed down in camouflage, flak jackets and helmets.

From The Daily Beast

When NYC Prep premiered, it got a lot of flak for the sheer gall of its unreality.

From The Daily Beast

He was bare armed under a protective jacket a jail official termed “a kind of flak jacket.”

From The Daily Beast

High Command in England thought the Germans might have come up with a new weapon as no flak or enemy fighters were seen.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a tough mission because the flak was so heavy and the other defenses were greater because the factories were important.

From Project Gutenberg

As one of the boys in the bomber crew had been hit in the knee by flak, he had it all wrapped up in bloody cloths.

From Project Gutenberg

I'll take you right down on top of them, and nuts to their flak fire.

From Project Gutenberg

Stan went straight toward the hill, flying low to keep out of the flak.

From Project Gutenberg