1. Intense adverse criticism
   "The politician took a lot of flack for the controversial decision";
   - fire, attack, flak [informal], blast [informal], stick [Brit, informal]
    
2. Artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes
   "The bomber had to fly through heavy flack";
   - antiaircraft, antiaircraft gun, flak, pom-pom, ack-ack [informal], ack-ack gun
    
3. [N. Amer, informal] A slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer
   "The company's flack deftly handled the press conference after the product recall";
   - flak catcher [N. Amer, informal], flak [N. Amer, informal], flack catcher [N. Amer, informal]
    
4. [N. Amer, informal] Someone employed to arrange publicity (for a firm or a public figure)
   "The flack worked tirelessly to promote the actor's new film";
   - press agent

1. Make publicity for; try to sell (a product)
   "The company is heavily flacking their new laptops";
   - advertise, advertize [US, non-standard], promote, push

Derived forms: flacks, flacking, flacked

Type of: criticism, gun, interpreter, praise, publiciser [Brit], publicist, publicizer, representative, spokesperson, unfavorable judgment [US], unfavourable judgment [Brit, Cdn], voice

Encyclopedia: Flack, Sarah