flak

noun

ˈflak 

variants or less commonly flack

plural flak also flack

1

: antiaircraft guns

2

: the bursting shells fired from flak

3

: criticism, opposition

She has taken a good deal of flak for espousing that view.

—E. J. Kahn, Jr.

When I was a restaurant bar manager I sometimes found myself taking flak from my customers for our high prices …

—Rob Hill

Examples of flak in a Sentence

He caught heavy flak for his decision to oppose the new school.

He took a lot of flak from the other kids for his unusual appearance.

Recent Examples on the Web

While praised for creating a functional home and workplace, Roosevelt’s overhaul drew flak for discarding the original Victorian interiors in favor of a starker neoclassical style. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Slowing the construction of new factories also has drawn flak from politicians who are looking to foster domestic manufacturing. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025

Rhythmic-format airplay is the draw for anyone weathering flak for collaborating with him. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025

Inevitably, the clubs’ owners RedBird and Oaktree will come in for the same flak every American investor has faced when attempting to break ground and build a new stadium in Italy. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Fliegerabwehrkanonen, from Flieger flyer + Abwehr defense + Kanonen cannons

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flak

• flak jacket

Rhymes for flak

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack
• lak

Kids Definition

flak

noun

variants also flack

ˈflak

plural flak also flack

1

: antiaircraft guns or the bursting shells fired from them

2

: severe criticism

Etymology

derived from the German word for "antiaircraft guns," from the first letters of Flieger "flier" and Abwehr "defense" and Kanonen "cannons"