bear the brunt
To endure the worst part of something.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The smallest team members bear the brunt of the extra work.”
“When the company budget was cut, the marketing department had to bear the brunt of the layoffs.”
“As the storm hit the coast, the fragile wooden houses bore the brunt of the powerful winds and rising tides.”
- 01
average bear
The norm; an average person; Used in comparisons
- 02
bad news bears
Said of someone or something that will bring disaster or bad fortune to one.
- 03
bear a hand
To make haste; to help quickly.
- 04
bear away the bell
To be superior in something.
- 05
bear fruit
To produce good results; to yield benefits; to succeed.
- 06
bear in mind
To hold (something) in the memory; to remember; also, to be mindful of or pay attention to (something); to consider; to note.
- 07
bear oneself
To behave and conduct oneself in a particular manner.
- 08
bear up
To endure hardship cheerfully or without complaining.
Last updated August 10, 2026