1
: the principal force, shock, or stress (as of an attack)
bear the brunt of the storm
the brunt of the struggle with the German army fell upon the Russians—
Walter Lippmann
Walter Lippmann2
: the greater part : burden
Examples of brunt in a Sentence
the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
Recent Examples on the Web
Director Jeong sets the lives of her protagonists (among them Bae Doona and Lee Yo-won in breakout roles) against the industrial backdrop of Incheon, a port city adjacent to Seoul and bearing the brunt of South Korea’s ruthless globalization efforts.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
These people bore the initial brunt of the market crash.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The Mount Airy neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia suffered the brunt of the damage, with trees crashing down on parked cars and power lines.
—Brandon Goldner, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Not visible in the frame was third baseman Manny Machado, who Stammen said had received the brunt of a spectator’s vitriol.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brunt
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
These people bore the initial brunt of the market crash.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The Mount Airy neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia suffered the brunt of the damage, with trees crashing down on parked cars and power lines.
—Brandon Goldner, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Not visible in the frame was third baseman Manny Machado, who Stammen said had received the brunt of a spectator’s vitriol.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brunt
Cite this Entry
“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brunt. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brunt
noun
: the main force or stress (as of an attack)
the brunt of the storm
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