brunt

plural brunts

1. The full adverse effects; the chief consequences or negative results of a thing or event.

   Unfortunately, poor areas such as those in New Orleans bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina’s winds.

   2 more examples

   There is an economy in the matter of breakages and repairs, for if the plough should be brought up upon a landfast rock, instead of the brunt coming simply on the draught rope, which would either snap or pull the framework of the plough to pieces, it is, through the pull of the one drum upon the other, immediately spread all over the field wherever the rope goes […]

   1862, Arthur Young, John Chalmers Morton, The Farmer's Calendar

   Though the storm raged up the East Coast, it has become increasingly apparent that New Jersey took the brunt of it.

   2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, “New Jersey reels from storm's thrashing”, in The New York Times

2. The force or shock of an attack in war.
3. The major part of something; the bulk.

   If you feel tired of walking, just think of the poor donkey who has carried the brunt of our load.

4. obsoleteA violent attack or charge in battle.

   Tech[elles]. I heare them come, ſhall wee encounter them? Tam[burlaine]. Keep all your ſtandings, and not ſtir a foot, Myſelfe will bide the danger of the brunt.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii

5. broadlyobsoleteA sudden harmful onset or attack (of disease, unbelief, persecution, etc.).
6. obsoleteA spurt, a sudden effort or straining.

present singular third person brunts · participle present brunting · participle past brunted · past brunted

1. raretransitiveTo bear the brunt of; to weather or withstand.

   "… I say." Ripton resumed the serious intonation, "do you think they'll ever suspect us?" "What if they do? We must brunt it." We brunted the storm.

   1859, George Meredith, chapter 7, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC

2. intransitiveobsoleteTo make a violent attack or charge.

plural Brunts

1. A surname.