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Glite Dictionary
to take a lot of flak

to take a lot of flak

1 7.4
Get a lot of criticism or blame from other people
  • idiom
translation icon : recibir críticas
  • I went to college at Rice and currently attend law school in central Virginia, so I used to take a lot of flak from Big 12 and now SEC boosters about Ohio State even though they knew I wasn't a fan.

Examples

  • My mom took a lot of flak from well-meaning people who thought that kids raised without religion wouldn't learn right from wrong.

    Blog text (6)

  • The director is taking a lot of flak for the movie's controversial ending.

  • After criticizing the government's policies, the journalist received a lot of flak from politicians.

  • Many celebrities take a lot of flak when they express their opinions on social media.

Synonyms

to catch heat
vsto take a lot of flak
  • Informal
1 8.3

To get criticism or blame from others for something you did

is severe criticism or blame focused on harshness rather than who gives it
to face backlash
vsto take a lot of flak
  • Literature
1 6.1

To receive strong public criticism for something you do or say

is severe criticism or blame emphasizing intensity rather than collective reaction
to catch it from
vsto take a lot of flak
  • Informal
1 8.7

Get a strong scolding from someone after doing something wrong

is severe criticism or blame in general rather than personal scolding or punishment
to face vitriol
vsto take a lot of flak
9.5

To get very harsh public criticism

is severe criticism or blame but not necessarily abusive or personal
to face brickbats
vsto take a lot of flak
8.9

To receive harsh criticism in public

is severe criticism or blame that can be stronger than mere harsh remarks

Antonyms

to praise
331 1.0

To tell a person that you admire or approve of them

How Criticized

to take a lot of flak
1 7.4
under attack
105 3.5

Surface Forms

take a lot of flak infinitive

Morphology

take + a + lot + of + flak

The meaning 'to receive severe criticism' is directly compositional: 'take' = receive, 'a lot of' = many/large amount, and 'flak' = criticism, so the overall sense is transparently derived from the parts. This follows a common verb + quantity + noun pattern found across languages, and a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the idiom's meaning.

Etymology

Take a lot of flak comes from war: flak was the name for heavy gun fire aimed at planes, and pilots who 'took flak' were being hit by that fire. So today take a lot of flak means 'to receive strong criticism'.