bear the brunt — take the worst of (something)
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to receive or experience the worst part or the main force of something unpleasant, such as criticism, blame, or negative effects.
Say it like a native
Textbook She absorbed the principal and most severe portion of the criticism.
Native She bore the brunt of the criticism.
'Absorbed the principal severe portion' spells out an idiom; 'bore the brunt of' is the set phrase.
Pattern: bear the brunt of + noun/gerund
In use
- During the recession, young people bore the brunt of job losses.daily life
- In my opinion, it is often children who bear the brunt of family conflicts, as they are the most affected by changes at home.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She bore the brunt for the criticism.
✓ She bore the brunt of the criticism.
'The brunt OF something', not 'for'.
Common collocations
bear the brunt of— of, take, the cost, the blame
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal meaning of 'bear' (to carry or support weight), this collocation is always figurative and refers to enduring the most difficult or unpleasant part of something.