brunt

noun

ˈbrənt 

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

• weight
• body
• bulk
• core
• majority
• burden
• chief

Examples of brunt in a Sentence

the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders

Recent Examples on the Web

And the average Indian consumer will likely bear the brunt at a time when there's a growing body of research saying most Indians have little money for discretionary spending. —Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 31 July 2025

Business has borne the brunt, in the form of higher taxes. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025

Long and narrow, at only around 1,000 feet wide, Fire Island runs parallel to the southern coast of Long Island and helps buffer inland areas from the full brunt of the sea. —Ramin Skibba, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2025

Their presence insulated India from the full brunt of Trump’s mercurial tendencies. —Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing brunt

• the brunt of

Rhymes for brunt

• blunt
• bunt
• front
• grunt
• shunt
• stunt
• affront
• confront
• exeunt
• forefront
• lakefront
• manhunt

Kids Definition

brunt

noun

ˈbrənt 

: the main force or stress (as of an attack)

the brunt of the storm