flak
Americannoun
-
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.
noun
-
anti-aircraft fire or artillery
-
informal a great deal of adverse criticism
Etymology
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
Explanation
If you’re taking flak, chances are you’re in a bad situation and taking fire from an enemy. Flak can refer to criticism — or worse, explosive shells from an antiaircraft weapon. Flak came into English as an abbreviation for the German word Fliegerabwehrkanone, meaning 'aircraft-defense gun.' (Yikes! No wonder they abbreviated it.) If you’re dealing with a lot of flak, you’re either in a fighter plane over enemy territory drawing shots, or you’re dealing with a volley of criticism that seems like antiaircraft fire. If you show up late for work for a third day, you’ll probably take some flak from your coworkers — they’ll take verbal shots at you.
Vocabulary lists containing flak
The Things They Carried
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Fallen Angels
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Visitors were greeted by security forces in flak jackets, some in military camouflage and others toting submachine guns, scattered amid a landscape of green pastures, wooden chalets and snowy peaks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
As the case dragged on and the flak kept coming, Police Scotland's then chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone said their "diligent, thorough and proportionate" criminal inquiry was looking at potential embezzlement.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Particularly at the trial level, they’re just getting so much incoming flak, and it makes it a very different job.
From Slate ● May 12, 2026
Treasuries have taken a lot of flak from Wall Street in recent years, because they stopped behaving like a safe haven.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
There had been no flak there at all.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
