deaf
adjective
\ ˈdef
, dialectal ˈdēf\
, dialectal ˈdēf\
Definition of deaf
1
: lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing
2
: unwilling to hear or listen : not to be persuaded
… when men are determined on mutiny, they are deaf to reason.— Washington Irving
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Other Words from deaf
deafish
\ ˈde-fish
\
adjective
\
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
With a tone-deaf bit of nostalgia, former Vice President Joe Biden has ignited a fire around his presidential campaign. — latimes.com, "Today: The Storm Over Trump's 5G Plan," 20 June 2019 While writing her book, Lockman learned that many women felt their complaints about the unequal division of childcare responsibilities fell on deaf ears. — NBC News, "Psychologist Darcy Lockman: This is why the parenting workload is rarely equal," 30 July 2019 Komorov and backup pilot Yuri Gagarin had repeatedly complained to officials that the Soyuz was full of problems that would likely be fatal, only to have those concerns fall on deaf ears. — Jamie Turner, cleveland.com, "11 things you might not know about Apollo 11 and the Space Race: Apollo 11 at 50," 17 July 2019 However, the pleas and objections of the forest officials fell on deaf ears and the forest panel of India’s environment ministry recommended an in-principle approval for exploration. — Mayank Aggarwal, Quartz India, "Tigers in a southern reserve are victims of India’s aggressive push towards nuclear energy," 15 July 2019 Some members of the WTSA coalition felt their complaints fell on deaf ears. — Christine Yu, Outside Online, "What Happened at the SHIFT Festival?," 25 June 2019 Cameroon's players and staff reacted with wild distaste, though their protests fell on deaf ears. — SI.com, "Women's World Cup Roundup: England See Off Hostile Cameroon as France Leave it Late Against Brazil," 23 June 2019 The player’s objections and concerns fall on deaf ears when FIFA and AFC continue tosupport the political players at these shady federations, who refuse to prioritize the women’s teams. — Shireen Ahmed, Time, "This Is the Most Anticipated Women’s World Cup Ever. But Corruption and Abuse Still Block Women From Soccer," 5 June 2019 Sean plays Sam, a sweet and funny character, who is also deaf. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Cast Of "The Society" And Their Characters," 10 May 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deaf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deaf
deaf
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of deaf
: not able to hear
: not willing to listen to or consider something
See the full definition for deaf in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deaf
adjective
\ ˈdef
\
\
Kids Definition of deaf
1
: wholly or partly unable to hear
2
: unwilling to hear or listen
She was deaf to all suggestions.
deaf
adjective
\ ˈdef
\
\
Medical Definition of deaf
: lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing
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