definitions

flak

or flack

[ flak ]
/ flæk /
|
SEE MORE 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.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

flaherty, robert joseph, flail, flail chest, flail joint, flair, flak, flak jacket, flak suit, flake, flake out, flake tool

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

Can be confused

flack flak
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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