deaf

adjective

ˈdef 

 dialectal  ˈdēf

1

: having total or partial hearing loss

deaf people

the deaf community

also : of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss

deaf culture

deaf education

2

: unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded

… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.

—Washington Irving

deafish

ˈde-fish 

adjective

deafly adverb

deafness noun

Examples of deaf in a Sentence

He has been deaf since birth.

She's completely deaf in her right ear.

He's going a little deaf so you'll have to speak up.

Recent Examples on the Web

With a relatively meager $170 million endowment, the university which employs more than 230 professors, many of whom are deaf, would struggle to recoup the loss of federal money. —Emma Whitford, Forbes, 3 Feb. 2025

Early on, her allegiances are torn between her support of her deaf classmates and the feminist win represented by a woman being chosen to lead the university. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025

Anthony, who was deaf, had no idea that the dogs had approached her, according to a GoFundMe set up in her honor. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025

The focus never strays far from Matlin herself, though, as archive footage is incorporated to illustrate her fight to make closed captioning mandatory, her advocacy for deaf rights, and her evolving understanding of the complex issues around deaf identity. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deef, from Old English dēaf; akin to Greek typhlos blind, typhein to smoke, Latin fumus smoke — more at fume

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deaf

• as deaf as a post
• deaf-aid
• deaf-mute
• fall on deaf ears
• go deaf
• stone-deaf
• struck deaf/blind
• the deaf
• tone-deaf
• turn a deaf ear

Kids Definition

deaf

adjective

ˈdef 

1

: wholly or partly unable to hear

2

: unwilling to hear or listen

deaf to all suggestions

deafness noun

Medical Definition

deaf

adjective

ˈdef 

: having total or partial hearing loss

deaf adults

also : of or relating to people who have total or partial hearing loss

deaf education

deafness noun