flak

or flack

[ flak ]
/ flæk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR flak ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

antiaircraft fire, especially as experienced by the crews of combat airplanes at which the fire is directed.
criticism; hostile reaction; abuse: Such an unpopular decision is bound to draw a lot of flak from the press.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flak

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flak

flack flak

Words nearby flak

flaherty, flail, flail chest, flail joint, flair, flak, flak jacket, flak suit, flake, flake out, flake tool
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to flak

opposition, knock, swipe, abuse, hostility, condemnation, censure, disparagement, disapprobation, disapproval, rap, pan, brickbat, fault-finding

Example sentences from the Web for flak

British Dictionary definitions for flak

flak

flack

/ (flæk) /

noun

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

Word Origin for flak

C20: from German Fl (ieger) a (bwehr) k (anone), literally: aircraft defence gun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012