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

There’s pain across the board, but women are definitely bearing the brunt.

From Fortune

We are counting on this vaccine to get us out of the pandemic, and we’re going to be left with populations where they will continue to be exposed and bearing the brunt of this if we don’t get the vaccines to those high-risk areas.

From Time

That pain has been most concentrated in service sectors — restaurants, bars, hotels — that have borne the brunt of the pandemic.

From Washington Post

Women and girls have borne the brunt of the pandemic, but they have also led the fight against it.

From Time

Many of those communities are in Oregon counties already bearing the brunt of timber tax cuts, which cost the state nearly $3 billion in revenue that would have been largely used to fund schools and local governments.

From ProPublica

As the Harvard Crimson noted, Byrne “had been bearing the brunt of the Harvard attack” all afternoon.

From The Daily Beast

Though vampire legends exist the world over, Romania and Bulgaria have born the brunt of the attention.

From The Daily Beast

As the epidemic rages on, the children will continue to bear a huge brunt of the blow.

From The Daily Beast

Consequently, the ones who suffer the brunt of your bluster are not Muslims in other nations that you may want to influence.

From The Daily Beast

Now, in a slightly meta moment, Brunt and Sky News are being harassed by the online community who blame them for her death.

From The Daily Beast

I hope you are able to bear the brunt of the battle, for my vocabulary will scarcely carry me through ten words.

From Project Gutenberg

The men of the other brigade were scarcely,—if any,—better prepared, and upon them fell the brunt of the first assault.

From Project Gutenberg

We writhe in pain and bear the brunt of an arrogant tyranny from whatever force that created and controls us.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the old men, the women, the children, the babies and the physically imperfect who must bear the brunt of dreadfulness.

From Project Gutenberg

They have to bear the brunt of the war, which to them is a fight of endurance and eternal, everlasting waiting—waiting—waiting.

From Project Gutenberg