brunt

American  

[bruhnt] / brʌnt /

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 British  

/ brʌnt /

noun

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

---

brunt Idioms  

1. see bear the brunt.

---

Etymology

Origin of brunt

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

Example Sentences

While Asia has borne the brunt of the effect to date, it is coming to nations with bigger stockpiles of oil that have been able to absorb the shock thus far.

From Barron's

Labour leaders warned that miners are bearing the brunt of the sudden policy shift.

From Barron's

Mandalay, an ancient royal capital hemmed by jungle-clad mountains and the snaking Irrawaddy river, bore the brunt of the damage.

From Barron's

Muslim communities in northern Nigeria, where they are the majority population, have largely borne the brunt of attacks by Islamist militants like Boko Haram and heavily armed gangs.

From BBC

There lies the nub of the dilemma for Qatar and the five other Gulf states facing the brunt of the backlash from a war they tried to avert through diplomacy.

From Salon