brunt

brunt

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Pronunciation

Phonetic Spelling

The IPA phonetic spelling for brunt is $/bɹʌnt.

It is a single-syllable word. The sounds are:

• /b/: The voiced bilabial stop, as in "boy."

• /ɹ/: The voiced alveolar approximant, as in "run."

• /ʌ/: The open-mid back unrounded vowel, as in "cup" or "strut."

• /n/: The voiced alveolar nasal, as in "nose."

• /t/: The voiceless alveolar stop, as in "top."

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Word Form Variations

• Singular Noun: brunt

• Plural Noun: brunts

• Verb (Rare/Obsolete): brunt (third-person: brunts; present participle: brunting; past: brunted)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. Definition: The main force, impact, or shock of an attack, blow, or other negative event; the principal part of the pressure or violence.

• Synonyms: impact, shock, force, weight, pressure, violence, thrust

• Antonyms: ease, relief, relaxation, protection

2. Definition: The primary and most difficult burden or load of an unpleasant task, responsibility, or situation. (This is its most common use, often in the phrase "to bear the brunt of...").

• Synonyms: burden, strain, stress, weight, onus

• Antonyms: benefit, reward, advantage, privilege

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Examples of Use

In Books

• "The common people, on the whole, are still hearty in their allegiance, but they have to bear the brunt of the war, and their patience is sorely tried." (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, His Last Bow)

• "If an army must be bled, it is better that the blood flow from the limbs than from the heart; it is better that the brunt of the battle should fall on the mercenaries than on the sons of the soil." (Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second)

In News & Online Publications

• "It is the poorest communities, which have done the least to cause climate change, that are bearing the brunt of the impacts." (The Guardian, October 2024)

• "While the entire tech sector has felt the downturn, it’s often the startup employees who bear the brunt of the layoffs as companies rush to cut costs." (TechCrunch)

• "Florida’s coastal homeowners are taking the brunt of the insurance crisis as premiums soar." (The New York Times)

In Entertainment

• "He shouldn't have to bear the brunt of your mistakes." (Spoken by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

• "The infantry is taking the brunt of the attack! We need reinforcements now!" (Common dialogue trope in war films and video games, such as Call of Duty)

In General Public Discourse

• "As usual, it’s the middle class that will have to bear the brunt of these new tax increases."

• "When the manager quit, the assistant manager had to take the brunt of the extra workload."

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10 Famous Quotes Using Brunt

1. "I'm always annoyed about why black people have to bear the brunt of everybody else's contempt." (Toni Morrison)

2. "The people sometimes who are closest to us are the ones who bear the brunt of our frustration." (Lynn Nottage)

3. "I don't mind being the brunt of a joke, so long as it's a good one." (Joey McIntyre)

4. "If a person is a U.S. citizen, and he is on the battlefield... trying to attack our troops, he will face the full brunt of the U.S. military response." (John O. Brennan)

5. "No matter how you measure it, women and girls bear the brunt of poverty." (Helene D. Gayle, attributed via CARE)

6. "I am often the brunt of my own humor." (Charles R. Swindoll)

7. "My issue with the state of women became incredibly stimulated when I was visiting developing countries and it became obvious that women bore the brunt of so many things in society." (Annie Lennox)

8. "It is up to us in the north to provide aid and support to those who are actually bearing the brunt of the fight for equality down south." (Jackie Robinson)

9. "I've spent my fortune, tarnished my public view and made myself the brunt of punch line after punch line." (Mindy McCready)

10. "Small companies are feeling the full brunt of the recession." (Cambridge Dictionary, example of use)

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Etymology

The etymology of brunt isn't perfectly clear, but it's believed to have come from the Vikings.

The word appeared in English in the late 1300s. It most likely comes from an Old Norse word, bruna, which meant "to rush" or "to advance like wildfire."

You can picture how this evolved.

1. Original Meaning: The word first meant "a sharp blow" or the "sudden shock of an attack." Imagine a charging line of warriors or a wave crashing—that first, most violent point of impact was the "brunt."

2. Modern Meaning: Over time, this idea of taking the main "shock" of an attack naturally shifted to mean taking the "main burden" or "heaviest part" of anything unpleasant.

So, when we say someone "bears the brunt" of a problem, we're using a word that once described the single soldier who had to face the most violent part of a wildfire-like rush from the enemy.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Brunt

Phrases Using "Brunt"

• Bear the brunt (of something): This is the most common idiom. It means to endure the worst or main part of an attack, force, or unpleasant situation.

• Take the brunt (of something): A very common alternative to "bear the brunt."

• Feel the brunt (of something): To experience the main negative impact.

• Face the brunt (of something): To confront or receive the main force of something.

• Suffer the brunt (of something): To be the one who endures the damage or hardship.

• Receive the brunt (of something): To be the recipient of the main force.

• The full brunt: This phrase emphasizes that the entire main force was received, not just part of it.

Idioms with a Similar Meaning (Using Synonyms)

• Take the hit: To accept the negative consequences of an action or event.

• Be in the firing line: To be in a position where one is likely to be attacked, criticized, or blamed.

• Take the flak: To receive strong criticism.

• Carry the weight (of the world) on one's shoulders: To feel responsible for all the problems or burdens.

• Face the music: To accept responsibility for a bad decision or action.

• Weather the storm: To survive a difficult period or crisis.

• Take the fall (for someone): To accept the blame for a mistake, often to protect someone else.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of brunt from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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