flak
Other forms: flaks
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.
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artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes
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synonyms:
ack-ack, ack-ack gun, antiaircraft, antiaircraft gun, flack, pom-pom
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types:
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Bofors gun
an automatic double-barreled antiaircraft gun
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type of:
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gun
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
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Bofors gun
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a slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer
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synonyms:
flack, flack catcher, flak catcher
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type of:
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interpreter, representative, spokesperson, voice
an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose
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interpreter, representative, spokesperson, voice
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intense adverse criticism
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing flak
A series of linked stories explores the lifelong effects of trauma on a platoon of soldiers during and after the Vietnam War.
Laura Hillenbrand recounts the tumultuous and amazingly true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who, after surviving 40 days adrift at sea, became a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II.
Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Surrounded by violence, hardship, and war, Liesel is watched over by Death, who narrates her story.