bear the brunt

Idioms  

1. Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance, as in It was the secretary who had to bear the brunt of the doctor's anger. This idiom uses brunt in the sense of “the main force of an enemy's attack,” which was sustained by the front lines of the defenders. [Second half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

“We bear the brunt of everything. This is really a layered tsunami of hurt.”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

While cruise lines will bear the brunt of higher fuel costs, that has yet to translate into higher fares.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Families of those with dementia "bear the brunt" with little information or support, and people diagnosed with MND, whose life-expectancy is short, still face multiple assessments and means tests.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

She does not know why the conflict is happening, but she knows her son will bear the brunt.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

He couldn’t leave his siblings and his mother behind to bear the brunt of “Reverend Rambo,” as he and his sisters jokingly called him.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Related Words

• brave
• encounter
• experience
• face
• feel
• go through
• know
• ride out
• suffer
• sustain
• tolerate
• undergo
• weather
• withstand