brunt

noun

\ ˈbrənt

How to pronounce brunt (audio)

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Definition of brunt

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

2 : the greater part : burden

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about brunt

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Synonyms for brunt

Synonyms

body,
bulk,
chief,
core,
generality,
heft
[archaic],
main,
mass,
staple,
weight

Examples of brunt in a Sentence

the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders

Recent Examples on the Web The months-long delay in enacting the legislation stemmed from Murphy's concerns that young people, particularly those in Black and Latino communities, would continue to bear the brunt of arrests and citations. — Mike Catalini, Star Tribune, "After long wait, New Jersey moves ahead on recreational pot," 22 Feb. 2021 Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities bear the brunt of the climate crisis, usually due to discriminatory zoning laws. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "SZA Is Fighting for Climate Justice, One Tree at a Time," 17 Feb. 2021 Even brass swan taps lovingly sourced from estate sales inevitably bear the brunt of so much handwashing—and hand-wringing. — Kelsey Keith, ELLE Decor, "Why Powder Rooms Are the Best Place in the House to Take Decorating Risks," 17 Feb. 2021 The blackouts were avoiding areas of critical infrastructure like hospitals, meaning that other areas would bear the brunt. — Susie Neilson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Why the massive power outages in Texas are so much worse than California's summer blackouts," 16 Feb. 2021 School closures have pulled women out of the labor force to bear the brunt of all the juggling that has to go on at home. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Biden Is Too Timid on School Reopening," 12 Feb. 2021 The moving belts bear the brunt of the grinding work to speed up the process, but the principles are similar to that of a whetstone. — Adrienne Donica, Popular Mechanics, "How to Sharpen a Knife (in 8 Simple Steps)," 10 Feb. 2021 Industries such as hospitality and travel continue to bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, and their recovery largely remains dependent on expanding the country's vaccination administration program, according to the CBO. — Tyler Van Dyke, Washington Examiner, "GDP set for strongest growth in 17 years in 2021: CBO," 1 Feb. 2021 Yet restaurants and gyms continue to bear the brunt of COVID-19 restrictions. — Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, "Restaurant reservations are off 78 percent, business foot traffic is down 50 percent. Should Boston loosen COVID-19 restrictions?," 21 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brunt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near brunt

brunswick green

Statistics for brunt

Last Updated

2 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brunt. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for brunt

brunt

noun

\ ˈbrənt

\

Kids Definition of brunt

: the main force or stress (as of an attack) The coast received the brunt of the storm.

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