brunt

[ bruhnt ]

noun

1. the main force or impact, as of an attack or blow:

   His arm took the brunt of the blow.

   Synonyms: burden, stress, thrust

brunt

/ brʌnt /

noun

1. the main force or shock of a blow, attack, etc (esp in the phrase bear the brunt of )

Word History and Origins

Origin of brunt¹

1275–1325; Middle English; perhaps originally sexual assault; akin to Old Norse brundr, German Brunft heat, ruttish state, Old English brunetha heat, itching; cognate with Old High German bronado. See burn ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of brunt¹

C14: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

see bear the brunt .

Example Sentences

Kath Howells from Newport council said Wales was feeling the brunt of the housing crisis, with private rented homes too expensive for most people and a lack of other options.

From BBC

An equal in the show’s unflinching satire, his disability isn’t necessarily the brunt of the joke.

From BBC

Its chair, Prof Kamila Hawthorne, added that otherwise surgeries would have to look at making redundancies or even potentially closing down, meaning patients would "bear the brunt" of the tax hike.

From BBC

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has decided firms will bear the brunt of her £40bn total tax rise by increasing the National Insurance rate as well as reducing the threshold that employers start paying it at.

From BBC

Some members believe the organization needs to step up its advocacy for low-income minority neighborhoods that bear the brunt of pollution from oil refineries, industrial complexes and freeways.

From Los Angeles Times