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 of brunt

• 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

But consumers haven't felt the brunt of the FCC's actions until today. —Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026

The brunt of damage there Wednesday came from a downpour of hail and powerful winds. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026

But across Lebanon, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict that flared up again when Hezbollah began firing at Israel at the start of the war with Iran. —Nada Bashir, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026

Chairman Pablo Isla and CEO Philipp Navratil bore the brunt of shareholders’ frustration at Nestlé’s annual general meeting in Lausanne on Thursday. —Fabienne Kinzelmann, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026

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