flak

/flæk/ (bre, ipa) · /flæk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈflak/ (ame, mw)

flak — noun

1. angry or disapproving comments directed at a person, an idea, or an action, espe

1.名詞B2
釋義

angry or disapproving comments directed at a person, an idea, or an action, especially when many people express them publicly.

例句

The mayor caught a lot of flak from local residents after raising property taxes.

catch/take flak for [something] — receiving criticism

Wei took flak from his teammates for missing the crucial penalty kick in the final match.

同義詞
  • criticism

    neutral and broader; flak suggests a more aggressive, public attack

  • backlash

    emphasises a strong negative reaction from a group, often causing change

  • censure

    formal and official disapproval, unlike the informal tone of flak

  • heat

    informal synonym; 'take the heat' is very similar to 'take the flak'

文法句型

take/catch/get/face + flak + for + noun/gerund

come under + flak + from + noun

用法筆記

Uncountable — you cannot say 'flaks' or 'a flak'. Frequently used with verbs like catch, take, face, draw, and get. Often followed by for + a reason.

常見錯誤

❌The politician received many flaks from the press.
✅The politician received a lot of flak from the press.
💡flak is uncountable and has no plural form.
❌She got flak by her boss.
✅She got flak from her boss.
💡the source of criticism is introduced by from, not by.

2. the shooting of weapons from a position on the ground at aircraft in the sky, or

2.名詞C1
釋義

the shooting of weapons from a position on the ground at aircraft in the sky, or the exploding projectiles from those weapons.

例句

The navigator recalled flying through heavy flak over the city during the bombing raid.

heavy flak — dense anti-aircraft fire

Their plane was hit by flak just as they crossed the enemy coastline, damaging the left engine.

同義詞
  • antiaircraft fire

    more formal and technical; flak is the everyday term

  • ack-ack

    historical military slang, less common than flak

文法句型

under + flak

hit by + flak

heavy + flak

用法筆記

This is the original meaning of flak, from the German abbreviation Flak (Fliegerabwehrkanone). The figurative 'criticism' sense (sense 1) is now far more common in everyday English.

常見錯誤

❌The pilot flew through many flaks.
✅The pilot flew through heavy flak.
💡flak is uncountable; use heavy, intense, or withering to describe the amount.