brunt

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noun \ ˈbrənt \

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

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Examples of brunt in a Sentence

the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders

Recent Examples of brunt from the Web

Precarious Situation’ New Orleans and the rest of coastal Louisiana are now feeling the brunt of Harvey’s soaking rains, threatening yet another major U.S. refining center.

— brian k sullivan, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Makes Second Landfall on Battered Gulf Coastline," 30 Aug. 2017
Though all of these species had hearts, Dr Woods was able to show that the brunt of the job of oxygen circulation in them was borne by their guts.

— The Economist, "Sea spidersHow does an animal with no heart circulate oxygen?," 13 July 2017
Children often bear the brunt of unpaid meal accounts.

— morgan lee, chicagotribune.com, "Schools rethink meal-debt policies that humiliate kids," 4 July 2017
And, oh, the bird droppings. Norma Crader, 76, and her neighbor, Betty Robertson, 84, have taken the brunt of the abuse.

— robert cadwallader, star-telegram.com, "Egrets making life miserable for Arlington residents, but ‘next year we have a plan’," 3 July 2017
And, oh, the bird droppings. Norma Crader, 76, and her neighbor, Betty Robertson, 84, have taken the brunt of the abuse.

— robert cadwallader, star-telegram, "Egrets making life miserable for Arlington residents, but ‘next year we have a plan’," 3 July 2017
UKRAINE IN PAIN Although the attack was global in its reach, Ukraine bore the brunt.

— Bloomberg.com, "Global Cyberattack Seems Intent on Havoc, Not Extortion," 30 June 2017
Each state will have some discretion over which of its populations bear the brunt of any cuts.

— ron lieber, New York Times, "Plan on Growing Old? Then the Medicaid Debate Affects You," 30 June 2017
UKRAINE IN PAIN Although the attack was global in its reach, Ukraine bore the brunt.

— Bloomberg.com, "Global Cyberattack Seems Intent on Havoc, Not Extortion," 30 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of brunt

Middle English

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First Known Use: 1769

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brunt Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

majority; aggregate, amount, entirety, quantum, sum, sum total, total, totality, whole; bottom, essence, essentiality, marrow, meat, nature, pith, quintessence, root, soul, stuff, substance; center, heart, hub, kernel, middle, nucleus, nut, seat; affair, argument, burden, crux, focus, gist, nub, pitch, point, purport; matter, motif, subject, text, theme, topic

Near Antonyms

accessory (also accessary), adjunct, appendage, extension, offshoot; component, constituent, element, ingredient; division, part, piece, section, segment; angle, aspect, facet, feature, quality, side

BRUNT Defined for Kids

brunt

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noun \ ˈbrənt \

Definition of brunt for Students

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

The coast received the brunt of the storm.

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See words that rhyme with brunt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brunt Spanish Central: Translation of brunt Britannica English: Translation of brunt for Arabic speakers

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